School Counseling Office Tour

SCHOOL COUNSELING OFFICE TOUR

Have you ever come back from the summer and your office looks like this?!  It can be so daunting!  I am grateful to our custodians who clean the ENTIRE school each summer, however it can be challenging having to start from what feels like scratch each fall.  To look on the bright side, I often think about how it is a new opportunity to set up my office in a better way.  Plus, I love to decorate!

COUNSELING LIBRARY

A few years ago, I organized my counseling library into sections and this was the best decision I have ever made.  The bottom shelf contains mostly resources and books for educators and parents.  The middle and top shelves are divided into various counseling categories:

Family Changes

Grief & Loss

Friendship

Accepting Differences

Bullying

Coping Skills

Feelings

Self-Control

Growth Mindset

Self-Esteem

I also have labels that are editable so I can edit these in the future if need be.  

OFFICE DOOR

Another VERY important part of my office is the door to my office which is typically open.  However, there are times in which the door is closed (i.e. counseling session with student, parent phone call, etc.).   Students who stop by to my office will first see this door referral system which includes the following:

"Where is the School Counselor?" Sign

Mailbox Label

Size of Problem Poster

Counselor Pass

Counselor Pass Envelope Label

This referral system is really a life saver in the school counseling world because our days can be very busy.  Students who leave their class to come speak with me can complete a counseling pass in their classroom or they can take a blank pass from the white envelope, fill it out, and then place the pass inside the blue mailbox.  All teachers are provided with blank passes throughout the school year.  I also make sure that I always have enough blank passes and pencils available for students who stop by.  The door posters can be found here!   

DECOR AND DETAILS

Now onto the best part, the decor and details!  My happy place is the beach so naturally I went with a beach theme.  Throughout the years, I have found adorable and cheap beach decor at places like Michaels and The Christmas Tree Shop.  I have also been gifted some special items, like the relax treasure chest from my Assistant Principal that I have also used as a mini personalized calm down tool kit.  

There are a few items that children typically gravitate towards when they enter my office, the sand tray and mini paper shredder being two of them.  My kids LOVE these and so do I!  

MINDFULNESS ZEN ZONE/CALM DOWN AREA

If my office were the size of a classroom or even a little bigger, I would designate an entire area to a calm down area/mindfulness zen zone.  While this would be ideal, I have made the best of my smaller office!  A few years back, I created a Mindfulness Kit for each classroom in the building.  While I was doing this, I created one for myself so that I could offer this to students in need.  The kit includes calming strategy cards, a pinwheel, crayons, fidgets, paper, and Play-Doh.  

OFFICE POSTERS

On the walls in my office, I have many posters including our school's common language (i.e. speaker power, listening position, bucket dipping/filling, and expected/unexpected behavior).  My office posters also include various beach scenes from an old calendar that I laminated, a confidentiality sign, quote posters, group rules, and more.  

Although it takes some extra TLC and time to decorate a counseling office, it helps the kids to feel comfortable and safe which is truly most important.  It brings me such joy when parents and/or children come into my office and compliment how calming my office feels.  That is the goal!  Check out the finished product below!   

My entire counseling office decor set can be found here.  If you're looking for more of a rustic counseling theme, you can check that out by clicking the below picture.