Over the years of working with students in school counseling, I have found that low self-esteem is often at the core of many of the difficulties children experience. A student may be referred because of social struggles, academic concerns, or behavioral challenges, but as I get to know the student, I often discover that the way they feel about themselves is playing an important role. The student who has difficulty making friends may believe that no one likes them.

The student who avoids participating in class may be afraid of being wrong or worry that they are not as smart as other students. Even behavioral difficulties can sometimes be connected to feelings of failure, frustration, or a negative belief about oneself. When students struggle to see their own strengths and abilities, those negative beliefs can affect their friendships, participation, academic confidence, and emotional well-being.

I have also found that directly asking a student to talk about their self-esteem or difficult feelings does not always lead to an easy conversation. This is where counseling activities can be especially helpful. Games, creative projects, journaling, discussion prompts, and hands-on activities can give students a less intimidating way to explore how they see themselves.

Rather than feeling put on the spot, students can express their thoughts and feelings through an activity while building the language and confidence to talk about what is really going on. These activities can help students recognize their strengths, identify negative self-talk, practice more encouraging ways of thinking, and begin to develop a stronger and more positive sense of self.

Activities to Help Students Identify Their Strengths

One of the most important places to begin when working on self-esteem is helping students recognize their own strengths. Many students who struggle with low self-esteem have become so focused on what they believe they cannot do that they have difficulty identifying what they do well. Taking time to intentionally explore their strengths can help students begin to develop a more balanced view of themselves.

Activity1: My Strengths Inventory

Invite students to create a list of their personal strengths. Depending on their age, you may provide examples such as being kind, creative, funny, hardworking, athletic, helpful, a good listener, or good at solving problems. Older students may be able to identify their own strengths independently, while younger students may benefit from a list of ideas or prompts.

You can turn this into a discussion, writing activity, or group activity. In a counseling group, students can also practice giving one another specific and genuine positive feedback. The goal is not simply to say something nice, but to help students recognize qualities that they may not see in themselves. This writing activity prompt is from the Self-Esteem Girls Group 20-Weeks of Journal Prompts. While a writing prompt should be the only activity in your counseling session, adding in some reflection activities can help students to practice thinking about their accomplishments and strengths.

After students identify their strengths, encourage them to share one or two that they are most proud of. Some students may initially say that they do not have any strengths. When this happens, gentle follow-up questions such as, “What do your friends come to you for?” or “What is something you have worked hard to improve?” can help students think beyond traditional academic or athletic abilities.

Activity 2: Strengths From Others

Students with low self-esteem often have an easier time recognizing positive qualities when they hear them from someone else. For this activity, ask students to think about what a friend, family member, teacher, or trusted adult might say is special or positive about them.

For example, a student may learn that others see them as a loyal friend, a good listener, or someone who makes others laugh. These moments can be especially meaningful for students whose negative self-talk has made it difficult to recognize their own positive qualities.

Activity 3: The “I Am” Activity

The “I Am” activity gives students a simple structure for exploring who they are beyond their challenges or mistakes. Provide prompts such as:

• I am proud that…
• I am good at…
• I am someone who…
• One thing that makes me unique is…
• I have worked hard to…
• I am learning to…

Younger students may enjoy drawing their responses, while older students may benefit from expanding on their answers through writing or discussion. This activity can also be revisited over time so students can see how their view of themselves changes and grows. An easier version for younger students is the “All About me” activity. This helps students think about what they like and helps them practice sharing with the counseling group a little about themselves, which can build confidence.

Activities for Challenging Negative Self-Talk

Students with low self-esteem often have a very active inner critic. They may quickly assume that they are not good enough, compare themselves to others, or focus on their mistakes while overlooking their successes. Helping students recognize these patterns is an important step toward developing healthier and more balanced thinking.

Activity 4: Catching Negative Thoughts

Begin by helping students understand that everyone has negative thoughts from time to time. The goal is not to pretend that difficult thoughts never happen. Instead, students can learn to notice when a thought is overly negative, unfair, or unhelpful.

Ask students to identify some of the negative thoughts they say to themselves when they make a mistake, struggle with schoolwork, have a conflict with a friend, or compare themselves to others. Examples might include, “I’m so stupid,” “Nobody likes me,” or “I can’t do anything right.”

I use this worksheet, Thoughts Impact our Behavior Worksheet often. While it’s not often the activity for week 1, I think that it really hits home with helping students understand how their negative thinking patterns impact their feelings and behaviors.

You can introduce the idea of Automatic Negative Thoughts, or “ANTs,” to help students understand how quickly these thoughts can appear. I often introduce this topic Once students can identify a negative thought, they are better able to pause and consider whether the thought is completely accurate or whether there may be another way to look at the situation. Here’s the YouTube video that is great for teaching kids about “ANTs”.

Activity 5: Pop the Negative Talk

This activity gives students a fun and memorable way to practice letting go of negative self-talk. Students first identify common negative statements they tell themselves. They can then “pop” the negative thought and practice replacing it with a more helpful and realistic statement.

For example:

“I always mess everything up.”

can become:

“I made a mistake, but everyone makes mistakes. I can learn from it and try again.”

The key is to help students replace harsh negative statements with thoughts they can genuinely believe. Statements do not need to be unrealistically positive to be helpful. A more balanced thought can often feel more believable and useful to a student. This worksheet “Pop” the Negative Thought Bubbles is part of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy activity packet.

Activity 6: Games That Build Positive Self-Talk

Once students begin recognizing negative self-talk, they can also practice developing a more encouraging inner voice. Many students are much kinder to their friends than they are to themselves. These activities help students practice using the same encouragement, patience, and understanding with themselves that they might naturally offer someone else.

Self-Esteem and Positive Thinking Counseling Games

One of the easiest ways to help students work on self-esteem is to make the counseling activity fun, interactive, and conversational. Games give students an opportunity to talk about difficult topics without feeling like they are sitting through a lecture or being asked to answer a series of serious questions.

I’ve created several games that I use to help students practice positive thinking, confidence, emotional regulation, growth mindset, and self-esteem. They work especially well in individual counseling and small groups because the game creates natural opportunities for discussion.

The three games include:

• Self-Esteem UNO – Use a familiar card game to get students talking about their strengths, feelings, confidence, and positive self-talk.
• Positive Thinking Board Game – Help students recognize negative thinking patterns and practice replacing them with more positive and productive thoughts.
• Self-Esteem Jenga – Turn a familiar game into an engaging counseling activity with questions, challenges, and positive-thinking prompts.

These games can be adapted for different ages and ability levels. You can have students answer the questions verbally, write their responses, or discuss their answers with the group.

Positive Thinking Board Game

The Positive Thinking Board Game is a fun way to help students recognize negative thinking patterns and develop healthier ways of thinking.

I originally created this activity for students who were struggling with low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, or negative thinking. It works particularly well in individual counseling or small groups for students in approximately grades 2–8.

Rather than simply telling students to “think positively,” the game gives them opportunities to identify negative thoughts, consider alternative ways of thinking, and practice a growth mindset.

How to Play

1. Have each player roll the dice. The player with the highest number goes first. Play continues clockwise around the board.
2. When a player lands on a star, they choose a hexagon card and answer the question or respond to the positive-thinking prompt.
3. When a player lands on an X, they choose a square card addressing a negative thought, negative thinking pattern, or negative behavior.
4. Encourage students to explain their answers rather than simply giving a one-word response. This can turn the game into a natural counseling conversation.
5. If a player is instructed to move forward or backward, their turn is finished. They do not need to draw another card.
6. Continue playing until all players reach the end of the game.

What Students Practice

As students play, they are practicing skills such as:

• Recognizing negative self-talk
• Challenging negative thoughts
• Using positive self-talk
• Developing a growth mindset
• Identifying personal strengths
• Problem-solving
• Asking for help
• Building confidence
• Making positive choices
• Understanding how thoughts can affect feelings and behavior

Picture placement: Insert a photo of the Positive Thinking Board Game board and cards here.

Product link: Add your product link here.

Self-Esteem Jenga

Self-Esteem Jenga takes a familiar game and turns it into an easy, hands-on counseling activity.

Students often open up more when they are doing something with their hands. Instead of sitting across from a counselor and being asked questions about their confidence or self-esteem, students can pull a Jenga block, answer a question, complete a challenge, and keep playing.

This makes Self-Esteem Jenga especially useful for students who are reluctant to talk during counseling.

The prompts are designed to encourage students to think about their strengths, accomplishments, friendships, confidence, growth mindset, problem-solving skills, and positive self-talk.

Sample Self-Esteem Jenga Prompts

Here are some of the types of questions and challenges included:

Building Confidence

• What does it mean to have confidence?
• What is your best school subject?
• What are two things you are good at that are not related to school?
• What are you good at doing on the computer?
• What game or exercise are you good at doing during PE or lunch?

Growth Mindset

• What does having a “growth mindset” mean to you?
• What is a challenge that you have overcome this month?
• What can you do if you don’t understand how to do your work?
• Why is it good to ask for help when you don’t understand something?

Positive Self-Talk

• Change this statement into a positive one: “I am not good at reading.”
• Why is positive thinking important for improving how we feel about ourselves?
• What activity makes you feel better when you are feeling sad?

Friendships & Relationships

• What makes you a good friend to others?
• What are two qualities that make someone a good friend?
• How can choosing good friends improve your self-esteem?
• Who helps you feel better at school or at home when you aren’t feeling confident?

Fun Confidence-Building Challenges

• Flex your arm muscles and say, “I am strong!”
• Pretend you are a superhero and show us your superhero pose.

Some prompts also give counselors an opportunity to address school behaviors and coping strategies, such as asking for help, responding appropriately when work feels difficult, and handling frustration.

Picture placement: Insert several pictures of the Self-Esteem Jenga blocks, prompt cards, and students playing the activity here.

Product link: Add your product link here.

Self-Esteem UNO

Self-Esteem UNO combines one of the most familiar children’s card games with questions designed to help students talk about themselves in a positive way.

This is especially helpful because students already know how to play UNO, so you can spend less time explaining the activity and more time having meaningful conversations.

As students play, the cards provide natural opportunities to discuss strengths, confidence, positive self-talk, emotions, friendships, coping skills, and personal accomplishments.

You can use Self-Esteem UNO during:

• Individual counseling sessions
• Small-group counseling
• Lunch groups
• Social-emotional learning activities
• Classroom lessons
• Check-ins with students
• Beginning-of-year relationship building
• Follow-up counseling sessions

The familiar game format also makes it easy to adjust the activity based on the student. With younger students, you might focus on simple strengths and positive statements. With older students, you can use the cards to have deeper conversations about self-esteem, negative thinking, comparison, confidence, and overcoming challenges.

5. Positive Affirmation & Coloring Activities

Not every counseling activity needs to involve talking.

Sometimes children need an opportunity to slow down, create something, and absorb a positive message without having to answer a lot of questions. Coloring and art activities can be particularly helpful for students who are quiet, hesitant to participate in counseling, or simply need a calming activity after a difficult day.

I’ve created several coloring and positive affirmation activities that combine self-esteem building, positive self-talk, mindfulness, and emotional regulation. These activities can be used during individual counseling, small groups, classroom SEL lessons, or as a calming activity students can take home.

The goal isn’t just to have students color a pretty picture. The goal is to give them repeated opportunities to see, say, think about, and create positive messages about themselves.

Positive Affirmations & Mindfulness Coloring for Kids

Positive Affirmations & Mindfulness Coloring for Kids combines coloring with mindfulness and breathing strategies to create a calming activity that students can use when they need to regulate their emotions.

The 38 coloring activities are designed for children approximately ages 5–13 and include positive affirmations, calming scenes, and kid-friendly breathing exercises.

The illustrations feature gender-neutral themes that appeal to a wide variety of students, including sailing, camping, surfing, skateboarding, hiking, and nature.

What makes this activity especially useful for counseling is that students aren’t just coloring—they are also learning concrete strategies they can use when they feel worried, overwhelmed, frustrated, angry, or emotionally dysregulated.

Breathing Strategies + Coloring

Several of the pages introduce simple breathing strategies that students can practice while they color, including:

• Square breathing
• Figure 8 breathing
• Five-finger breathing
• Other simple calming and mindfulness strategies

Many pages also include QR codes that link to short, kid-friendly breathing videos, allowing students to see and practice the strategy along with the coloring activity.

This gives counselors an easy way to introduce a breathing strategy and then provide students with something they can continue practicing independently.

Picture placement: Insert several pictures showing the different Positive Affirmations & Mindfulness Coloring pages, especially one or two breathing strategy pages and a few of the positive affirmation designs.

50 Positive Affirmations Art Activity

Another simple activity I use to reinforce positive thinking is a Positive Affirmations Art Activity.

This activity is particularly useful because students don’t just read an affirmation—they create something they can keep and display.

The activity includes 50 positive statements designed to encourage students to think about their strengths, abilities, effort, and potential. It can be used with individual students, small counseling groups, or as a Tier 1 SEL activity with an entire classroom.

How to Use the Activity

The activity is simple:

1. Print the positive affirmation pages.
2. Have students color their chosen affirmations.
3. Students cut out the affirmations.
4. Glue them onto construction paper or cardstock.
5. Punch two small holes at the top.
6. Add string so the finished affirmation can be displayed.

Students can hang their completed artwork in the classroom, counseling office, bedroom, or another place where they will see the positive message regularly.

This is a great way to turn a counseling lesson into something that continues working long after the counseling session is over.

Why Positive Affirmations Matter

For students with low self-esteem, positive affirmations can provide a starting point for changing the way they talk to themselves.

A student who frequently thinks:

“I’m not good at this.”

can begin practicing:

“I can improve with practice.”

A student who thinks:

“I always mess up.”

can begin replacing that thought with:

“Making mistakes helps me learn.”

The goal isn’t to convince students that everything is perfect. Instead, positive affirmations help students develop more balanced, encouraging, and growth-oriented self-talk.

When students repeatedly see and practice these messages, they have more opportunities to internalize the idea that their abilities can grow, mistakes are part of learning, and they have strengths worth recognizing.

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The post Self-Esteem Counseling Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students appeared first on The Counseling Fanny Pack.

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Does Test Anxiety Make It Hard to Show What You Know?

Have you ever walked into a test feeling prepared, only to suddenly forget information you studied the night before? Maybe your heart starts racing, your hands get sweaty, or your mind goes completely blank.

If so, you’re not alone. Test anxiety affects millions of students each year, from elementary school students taking state assessments to college and graduate students preparing for high-stakes exams such as the SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT, GRE, NCLEX, and professional licensing tests.

The good news is that test anxiety can be managed. While no product can eliminate anxiety entirely, the right tools can help students stay calmer, more focused, and better prepared.

As a school psychologist with more than 17 years of experience, I’ve worked with hundreds of students who struggled with test anxiety. Here are eight tools that can make a meaningful difference.

1. The Test Anxiety Tactics Workbook

If you’re looking for a tool that addresses the root causes of test anxiety, start here.

Many students mistakenly believe they need to “try harder” or “stop worrying.” Unfortunately, anxiety doesn’t work that way. Students need specific skills and strategies to manage the physical, emotional, and mental symptoms that occur before and during tests.

The Test Anxiety Tactics Workbook teaches students how to:

• Recognize their unique anxiety triggers
• Understand what happens in the brain during anxiety
• Reduce negative self-talk
• Use evidence-based coping techniques
• Improve confidence and self-efficacy
• Develop personalized test-taking plans
• Practice relaxation and mindfulness exercises

One of the biggest benefits of the workbook is that it focuses on long-term skills rather than temporary fixes. Students learn strategies they can continue using throughout high school, college, graduate school, and their careers.

Many students find that simply understanding why they experience anxiety helps them feel more in control and less overwhelmed.

2. Noise-Canceling Headphones

For students who are easily distracted, noise can significantly increase stress levels while studying.

Noise-canceling headphones help create a controlled environment by reducing background distractions such as:

• Conversations
• Traffic noise
• Television sounds
• Household activity
• Roommates and siblings

When students can focus more effectively, they often retain information better and feel more prepared on test day.

An additional benefit is that many students associate putting on their headphones with entering “study mode.” Over time, this can create a mental cue that helps the brain transition into a focused state more quickly.

Better focus often leads to more efficient studying, which can reduce the anxiety that comes from feeling underprepared. You can wear them with or without using calming focus-music. My husband would always swear by studying to the music from the Nutcracker, and I prefer instrumental Reggae music, but your music choice is up to you of course.

Soundcore Q30 by Anker Noise-Canceling Headphones

One of the most popular options for students is the Soundcore Q30 by Anker Hybrid Active Noise-Canceling Headphones. With more than 95,000 customer reviews on Amazon, these headphones have earned a strong reputation for helping users create a quieter, more focused study environment.

The Q30 features hybrid active noise cancellation with multiple listening modes, allowing students to reduce distractions from household noise, conversations, traffic, or busy coffee shops. This can be especially helpful for students who find that environmental distractions increase their stress levels while studying.

Students also appreciate the comfortable over-ear design, which makes it easier to wear the headphones during long study sessions. With up to 50 hours of playtime, they can last through multiple days of studying without needing frequent charging. The customizable EQ settings available through the companion app allow users to adjust the sound profile to their preferences, whether they are listening to calming music, white noise, or recorded lectures.

For students with test anxiety, creating a focused study environment can help increase productivity, improve information retention, and build confidence before an exam. The Soundcore Q30 offers an affordable way to reduce distractions and stay engaged with study materials, making it one of the most highly reviewed study tools available on Amazon.

3. A Visual Timer

Time pressure is one of the most common triggers for test anxiety.

Students frequently report worrying about questions such as:

• “What if I run out of time?”
• “Am I working too slowly?”
• “How much time do I have left?”

A visual timer allows students to see the passage of time without constantly checking a clock.

Benefits include:

• Improved time management skills
• Reduced panic during timed tasks
• Better pacing during practice tests
• Increased awareness of how long assignments actually take

When students regularly practice with timed conditions, tests begin to feel more familiar and predictable. Familiarity often reduces anxiety because the brain perceives the situation as less threatening.

The TIME TIMER Home MOD 60-Minute Visual Timer is an excellent tool for students who feel overwhelmed by timed assignments, homework sessions, or upcoming exams. Unlike traditional timers, the Time Timer uses a disappearing colored disk that allows students to visually see how much time remains, helping make abstract concepts like “30 minutes left” easier to understand.

Whether used for study sessions, practice tests, homework blocks, or scheduled breaks, the TIME TIMER Home MOD helps students stay focused and manage their time more effectively. Over time, this increased sense of control can lead to greater confidence and lower anxiety when facing timed exams.

4. Stress Balls and Fidget Tools

When anxiety rises, the body often becomes physically restless. This is where stress balls and fidgets can support anxiety, stress, and provide a sensory distraction.

Students may:

• Tap their feet
• Bounce their legs
• Crack their knuckles
• Fidget with pencils
• Twist their hair

Fidget tools provide a healthier outlet for nervous energy.

Research and classroom observations suggest that some students are able to concentrate better when they have a small, repetitive movement that helps regulate their nervous system.

Benefits may include:

• Reduced physical tension
• Improved attention
• Increased emotional regulation
• Better stress management during study sessions

Many students also report that squeezing a stress ball before a test helps release some of the nervous energy that builds up beforehand.

5. An Academic Planner

One major contributor to test anxiety is feeling overwhelmed. Students often know they need to study but aren’t sure where to start. As assignments pile up, anxiety increases.

A planner helps students create structure in their day, week, and month through supporting the all important executive functioning tool of organization by allowing them to:

• Track assignments
• Schedule study sessions
• Set goals
• Break large projects into manageable tasks
• Monitor upcoming exams

When students have a clear plan, they often feel more in control.

Control is important because uncertainty fuels anxiety. The more organized students become, the less mental energy they spend worrying about what they may have forgotten. This is especially true for students with ADHD or Anxiety.

Many students find that using a planner helps reduce procrastination, which is another major source of test-related stress. When I was in college, I used to have the strategy of putting due dates in my planner a few days early. That way, I was tricking my brain into reducing it’s desire to procrastinate until the last minute. Maybe you can try this strategy too if you like it?

I like this one, The Lamare Academic Planner 2026-2027 – Undated Weekly College Student Planner for Homeschool, High School, College & Nursing Students because it helps students break overwhelming academic responsibilities into manageable daily and weekly goals. The undated format means you can start using it at any time of the year without wasting pages, making it especially useful for students beginning a new semester or preparing for a major exam. I also appreciate that it provides dedicated space for tracking assignments, exams, study schedules, and priorities, which can reduce the uncertainty and last-minute cramming that often contribute to test anxiety. When students have a clear plan for what needs to be done and when, they tend to feel more organized, more prepared, and more confident going into exams.

6.Calming Scents to Promote Better Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep before an exam is one of the most effective ways to reduce test anxiety. Yet many students find themselves lying awake the night before a big test, replaying study material, worrying about their performance, or struggling to quiet racing thoughts.

Creating a calming bedtime routine can help signal to your brain and body that it’s time to relax. One simple strategy is incorporating soothing scents known for their relaxing properties. Aromatherapy won’t magically eliminate anxiety, but it can help create an environment that supports restful sleep and relaxation.

One product I recommend is This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray with Lavender, Vetivert & Chamomile. This natural aromatherapy sleep mist combines three calming scents that are commonly used to promote relaxation and prepare the mind for sleep. Simply spray it lightly on your pillow or bedding as part of your nightly routine before an exam or during stressful study periods.

Potential benefits include:

• Creating a calming bedtime environment
• Supporting relaxation before sleep
• Helping establish a consistent nighttime routine
• Reducing pre-test stress and tension
• Promoting better sleep quality
• Encouraging a smoother transition from studying to rest

Many students underestimate the importance of sleep when preparing for exams. However, sleep plays a critical role in memory consolidation, concentration, problem-solving, and emotional regulation. When students are well-rested, they are often better able to recall information, stay focused during tests, and manage feelings of anxiety.

Adding a calming sleep spray like This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray to your evening routine can be a small but meaningful step toward better sleep and greater confidence on test day. After all, one of the best things you can do for your brain before an exam is to give it the rest it needs to perform at its best.

For more information on tips for getting better sleep when experiencing Test Anxiety, Read This.

7. Blue Light Blocking Glasses

7. Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Many students spend hours each day studying on laptops, tablets, and smartphones. While technology is an essential part of modern education, prolonged screen time can contribute to eye strain, headaches, fatigue, and difficulty winding down before bedtime—all of which can make test anxiety feel even more overwhelming.

One option worth considering is the Sleep ZM Blue Light Blocking & Light Sensitivity Glasses. With more than 2,600 reviews on Amazon, these glasses are designed to help reduce exposure to blue light from screens and artificial lighting. What makes this product unique is that it offers eight different lens types designed for various needs, including screen use, light sensitivity, relaxation, and sleep support.

Potential benefits of blue light blocking glasses include:

• Reducing digital eye strain during long study sessions
• Helping minimize headaches caused by extended screen exposure
• Increasing comfort when reading or studying online
• Supporting healthier evening screen habits
• Helping students transition more easily from studying to bedtime

For students with test anxiety, sleep is often one of the first things affected. Many students spend the evening before an exam reviewing notes on their computer or phone, which can make it harder to fall asleep afterward. By reducing blue light exposure during evening study sessions, some students find it easier to relax and maintain a more consistent sleep schedule.

While blue light glasses are not a direct treatment for test anxiety, they can help address some of the physical factors—such as eye fatigue and disrupted sleep—that may contribute to increased stress and difficulty concentrating. Combined with healthy study habits and anxiety-management strategies, products like the Sleep ZM Blue Light Blocking Glasses can be a helpful addition to a student’s test preparation toolkit.

8. A Home Massager for Stress Relief and Relaxation

When students think about preparing for a test, they usually focus on studying—but they often overlook the physical effects of anxiety. Test anxiety doesn’t just affect your thoughts; it can also show up in the body as muscle tension, headaches, neck pain, shoulder tightness, and general feelings of stress.

One way to address these physical symptoms is by incorporating relaxation into your study routine. A home massager can help students unwind after a long day of studying and create a calmer mindset before an exam.

One product that our family has enjoyed is the Neck Massager for Pain Relief Deep Tissue, Electric Shiatsu Shoulder & Back Massager with Heat. In full disclosure, I actually purchased this as a Father’s Day gift for my husband last year. While we probably don’t use it as often as we should, it’s become a favorite in our household. Even my kids will occasionally ask to use it when they’re feeling tense, stressed, or simply need a few minutes to relax after a busy day.

The deep-tissue massage nodes and optional heat feature help loosen tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, and upper back—areas where many people tend to hold stress. For students who spend hours hunched over textbooks, laptops, or study materials, this can be especially helpful.

Potential benefits include:

• Reducing muscle tension caused by stress and anxiety
• Promoting relaxation after long study sessions
• Helping students decompress before bedtime
• Supporting a healthy self-care routine
• Encouraging better sleep quality
• Creating a calming transition between studying and rest

One thing I appreciate about this massager is that it encourages students and adults alike to take a break and focus on relaxation for a few minutes. When we’re anxious, our bodies often remain in a heightened state of alertness. Activities that help release physical tension can send signals to the brain that it’s safe to relax.

Of course, a massager isn’t a cure for test anxiety, but it can be a useful tool for managing the physical stress that often accompanies it. Combined with effective study habits, healthy sleep routines, and anxiety-management strategies, a relaxing massage can help students feel calmer, more comfortable, and better prepared for test day.

As someone who works with students struggling with test anxiety, I often remind them that managing stress isn’t just about what’s happening in your mind—it’s also about taking care of your body. Sometimes a few minutes of relaxation can make a bigger difference than students realize.

Why These Tools Work Best Together

Each of these tools addresses a different piece of the test anxiety puzzle.

Some help students stay organized. Others improve concentration. Some reduce physical symptoms of stress. And some teach long-term coping skills.

The most effective approach is often a combination of:

• Learning anxiety-management strategies
• Creating a productive study environment
• Practicing effective study habits
• Using tools that support focus and emotional regulation

That’s why I often recommend starting with the Test Anxiety Tactics Workbook or even the full Video Course as the foundation and then adding other tools that target your specific challenges and relieve some of the physical symptoms of anxiety, for a calmer you and a clearer, well rested, mind.

Final Thoughts

Test anxiety doesn’t mean you’re not smart. It doesn’t mean you didn’t study hard enough. It simply means that your body’s stress response is interfering with your ability to demonstrate what you know.

The right tools can help you regain a sense of control, build confidence, and approach tests with a calmer mindset.

Whether you’re preparing for a classroom quiz, college entrance exam, graduate school admissions test, or professional licensing exam, investing in your mental and emotional preparation can be just as important as studying the material itself.

Free Resource

Not sure whether test anxiety is affecting your performance?

Download my Free Test Anxiety Symptoms Checklist to identify common signs of test anxiety and learn the first steps toward overcoming it. You may be surprised to discover how many symptoms occur long before students ever sit down to take a test.

The post Best Tools for Test Anxiety: 8 Amazon Must-Haves for Students Who Want to Feel More Confident on Test Day appeared first on The Counseling Fanny Pack.

If you’re a school psychologist, then I really do feel for you. It’s one of those thankless jobs in education where the lack of recognition can sometimes feel almost comical. If you’ve ever been overlooked on Teacher Appreciation Day—or even Counselor Appreciation Day—then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

School psychologists are often the unsung heroes of the public school system. We’re expected to be experts in everything: assessment, counseling, behavior intervention, consultation, special education law, crisis response, and more. But if you’re like me, it takes years—sometimes even half a career—to truly feel confident in all aspects of the job.

The Many Hats School Psychologists Wear

If you’ve been covering multiple school sites, working late nights on psychoeducational reports, and solving behavior mysteries on a daily basis, then you’re doing an amazing job.

Like many school psychologists, I spent countless evenings working on my couch, often sacrificing Thanksgiving breaks, Spring Break vacations, and weekends just to keep up with deadlines.

For many school psychologists, the hardest part of the job is the never-ending list of deadlines. For me, however, one of the biggest challenges used to be planning effective counseling groups. Once I solved that hurdle by creating my own counseling activities and curricula to keep students engaged while building important skills, my next obstacle became navigating challenging personalities.

Education has become increasingly political. At some school sites, the RSP teacher seemed determined to throw me under the bus. At others, the speech pathologist ruled the roost. Learning how to navigate difficult workplace dynamics became just as important as learning how to interpret assessment results.

How AI Has Transformed My Report Writing Process

So what have I done to survive?

When it comes to the mountain of report writing, one of the biggest game-changers for me has been using the AI platform BastionGPT.

Yes, I stared the future in the face and ripped off the Band-Aid—and it has been life-changing.

Reports that once took me 10 hours to write can now often be completed in half the time, and sometimes even less. The learning curve was real, and there was plenty of trial and error in the beginning. However, as I’ve become more comfortable using AI to assist with educational history summaries, observations, rating scale analysis, and cognitive testing interpretations, I’ve significantly reduced the amount of time and stress associated with report writing.

I started using the platform in the fall of 2024 and haven’t looked back. The time savings alone have improved my quality of life as a school psychologist.

If you’d like to learn more about using BastionGPT, which is HIPAA- and FERPA-compliant, check out my videos or try a free trial. Your future school psychologist self may thank you. I only use the $20 a month plan, but if you click on this link you can try it for free for 30 days.

Leaving a Toxic School Psychology Position

What else did I do to improve my quality of school psychologist life?

My story may be different from yours, but I was literally bullied by coworkers and a principal for an entire school year. After years of feeling unsupported by my Special Education Director and other supervisors, I finally decided to make a change.

I quit.

Well, kind of.

I left my district and found a better one.

Changing districts is one of the hardest decisions a school psychologist can make. While I was dealing with difficult people, I was also leaving behind many colleagues I genuinely enjoyed working with—people I had known for over a decade.

But when an opportunity arose, I didn’t hesitate, even though it was the middle of the school year.

Looking back, it was one of the best professional decisions I’ve ever made.

How Becoming a Licensed Educational Psychologist Changed My Career

Before making the switch, I didn’t act without a backup plan.

The year I experienced workplace bullying, I also experienced intense anxiety. I wasn’t sleeping well. I took days off because stress-related chest pain made it difficult to function. Important IEP meetings loomed over me while I struggled to manage the emotional toll of the situation.

But instead of allowing that experience to defeat me, I used it as motivation.

I finally pursued something I had been putting off for years: earning my Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP) credential.

It wasn’t easy. Preparing for the exam required weeks of studying and a level of commitment I hadn’t experienced since graduate school. But I was determined.

And yes—I passed on my first attempt.

At the time, it felt like my future depended on it.

Starting a Private Practice While Working Full-Time

After obtaining my license, I spent months building my private practice.

Fortunately, I already had this website and my counseling products business, which gave me a head start. I also had support with the technical side of maintaining a website.

I started my private practice while continuing to work full-time as a school psychologist. By February, I had my first few clients.

Since then, my business has steadily grown. Ironically, I’m back to working weekends—but now I’m working on my business rather than catching up on district reports.

And honestly, it feels very different.

Building something of your own can be incredibly rewarding.

Advice for Burned-Out School Psychologists

If you feel like you’re hanging on by a thread as a school psychologist, here’s my advice:

First, embrace AI. Learning how to responsibly use AI tools for report writing can dramatically reduce the number of hours you spend typing reports after your official workday ends.

Second, find a side hustle or creative outlet.

It doesn’t have to be related to school psychology. For me, I love creating counseling products, writing books, blogging, and conducting private psychoeducational evaluations. For someone else, it might be selling products on Etsy or eBay, starting a YouTube channel, teaching a skill, or creating digital resources.

I personally enjoy creative outlets that also generate income because school psychology is not always a particularly creative profession. Having an outlet where you can build, create, and express yourself can be incredibly fulfilling.

Most importantly, find something outside of your school psychology role that keeps you inspired and motivated. Whether it’s a business, a hobby, or a passion project, having something else to focus on can help buffer the stress that often comes with working in education.

After nearly two decades in this field, I’ve learned that surviving as a school psychologist isn’t just about managing reports and deadlines. It’s about protecting your mental health, building a life outside of work, and creating opportunities that give you options.

Because when you have options, you have freedom—and that’s something every school psychologist deserves. Especially YOU!

If you are in need of fun and easy counseling games, social stories, and SEL materials, please check out my store in TpT, Counseling Fanny Pack of Fun. Kids can have fun, while meeting their counseling goals, I promise!

The post How to Survive and Thrive as a School Psychologist: Lessons Learned After 17 Years appeared first on The Counseling Fanny Pack.

As school counselors and school psychologists, we know social skills groups can make a tremendous difference for students who struggle with friendships, behavior, communication, and emotional regulation. The challenge isn’t knowing what to teach—it’s finding the time to plan engaging lessons every week.

That’s why I created this simple 10-week social skills group sequence using ready-to-go fun and EASY activities in the Counseling Fanny Pack of Fun store. Each lesson includes a hands-on activity, game, or social story that keeps students engaged while targeting essential social-emotional skills.

Whether you’re running a lunch bunch, Tier 2 intervention group, counseling group, or special education social skills group, this sequence can help you spend less time planning and more time connecting with students!!! And, YES, some of these activities are FREE!!!

Week 1: Teaching Kids about What Makes a Good Friend?

Resource:

Friendship PIZZA Arts and Crafts Counseling & SEL Activity, Discussion Prompts (FREE)

Friendship is the foundation of most elementary social skills groups. Students create a friendship pizza by identifying the “ingredients” that make a great friend, such as kindness, sharing, honesty, and listening.

This activity naturally leads to discussions about friendship expectations and group norms while helping students get to know one another.

Week 2: Understanding Feelings

Resource:

12 SOCIAL SKILLS STORIES Coloring Books; Self-Regulation and Behaviors

Choose one of the emotions-focused social stories from this bundle to help students identify feelings, recognize emotional cues, and discuss appropriate responses to emotions.

The coloring component keeps younger students engaged while reinforcing key concepts.

Week 3: Learning Recess Expectations

Resource:

The RECESS Matters! Curriculum, for Students with Autism

Many friendship conflicts begin on the playground. This curriculum helps students understand playground expectations, following rules, taking turns, and interacting appropriately with peers during recess. It even has some print-out rules (with video links) for how to play specific games, such as four-square, handball, and magic-tag. Because this curriculum has several activities, it can actually turn your 10-week social skills group into a 12 or 13-week group!

Students can discuss situations they encounter at recess and practice positive alternatives.

Week 4: Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Behaviors

Resource:

Appropriate vs. Inappropriate BEHAVIORS Dice Game for Counseling Sessions

This interactive card game encourages students to identify expected and unexpected behaviors in school settings.

Students discuss why certain behaviors help build friendships while others may create problems with peers or adults.

This lesson is especially effective for students who struggle with impulse control and social awareness.

Week 5: Reinforcing Expected Behaviors

Resource:

Social Skills Story Coloring Book: Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Behaviors

After introducing expected and unexpected behaviors through the card game, reinforce the concepts with this social story and coloring book.

Students gain additional opportunities to discuss real-life examples and practice identifying positive behavioral choices.

Week 6: Making Good Choices UNO

Resource:

What Should You Do? Making GOOD Choices UNO for Counseling Grades 1-5

This is consistently one of the most engaging counseling activities for elementary students.

Students answer discussion prompts while playing Jenga, encouraging thoughtful conversations about problem-solving, decision-making, personal responsibility, and positive behavior choices.

The game format naturally increases participation, even among reluctant group members.

Week 7: Determining Kind vs Unkind Behaviors Worksheet Activity

Resource:

The Kind vs. Unkind Video & Cut-Paste Counseling & SEL Activity

This is a fun and easy lesson on KINDNESS vs. UNKIND Behaviors. Good for Social Emotional Learning, counseling for students with behavioral difficulties, poor conflict resolution, and BULLYING behaviors. Includes an excellent YouTube video link (see below) and then cut and paste activity for small group or individual counseling. You can pre-cut before your session, or include the cut and paste into the session to help build fine motor skills.

Skills/Ways to use:

– Fine motor- coloring, cutting, gluing, hand eye coordination

– Use as a center/activity on Valentines day or Pink shirt day

– Social emotional learning

Week 8: Kindness and Friendship

Resource:

KINDNESS vs. UNKIND Behaviors CANDYLAND

Kindness is one of the most important friendship-building skills students can learn.

This activity helps students differentiate between kind and unkind actions, understand how behavior impacts others, and develop empathy for peers…all while playing the fun game of CANDYLAND!

Students often enjoy sharing examples of kindness they have experienced or demonstrated.

Week 9: “Video Game” for Learning Social Skills

Resource:

Free Social Skills Counseling & SEL Game; Gameboard for YouTube Video Game

This is the FREE Gameboard for the Social Skills Superhero Game. You can purchase the game on TpT or use the gameboard with the pre-made video-game version on YouTube. The video is about 18 minutes long, and requires kids to Get ENGAGED…So Fun! Perfect for your 30-minute counseling session!

Week 10: Social Skills Celebration and Review with JENGA!

Resources:

• Social Skills JENGA or Beach Ball Game for Counseling Grades 1-5

Wrap up the group with a fun review session using one of your favorite game-based resources.

Students revisit key concepts learned throughout the group:

• Friendship skills
• Recognizing feelings
• Expected behaviors
• Making good choices
• Kindness
• Safety
• Problem-solving

This final session reinforces learning while celebrating student growth and participation.

Why Counselors Love This Sequence

Using these Counseling Fanny Pack of Fun resources provides:

✅ Minimal preparation time

✅ Engaging hands-on activities

✅ Built-in discussion prompts

✅ Developmentally appropriate lessons for K–3 students

✅ Opportunities for role-play and real-life application

✅ A complete 10-week counseling plan without creating materials from scratch

If you’re looking for a simple way to run effective social skills groups this school year, these activities provide a ready-made roadmap that helps students develop friendship skills, self-control, emotional awareness, and positive decision-making—all while having fun.

Browse the full Counseling Fanny Pack of Fun Social Skills collection here:
Counseling Fanny Pack of Fun Social Skills Resources

The post The Easiest K–3 Social Skills Group…Already Planned For YOU! Try This 10-Week Counseling Sequence appeared first on The Counseling Fanny Pack.

Anger and frustration are part of everyday life for elementary students—but choosing how to respond to those emotions is a skill that must be explicitly taught. As school counselors and psychologists, we know that many behavior challenges stem not from defiance, but from underdeveloped emotional regulation and decision-making skills.

When students are overwhelmed, they need clear language, repeated practice, and engaging tools to help them pause, reflect, and choose appropriate behaviors. Counseling games and interactive activities provide a developmentally appropriate way to teach these skills in a safe, supportive environment.

Below are practical ways to support students in making better behavior choices when emotions run high—using counseling activities designed for my own counseling students in order to build insight, self-control, and accountability.

Understanding the Roots of Frustration: From Emotion to Behavior

Before students can change their behavior, they need to understand the connection between feelings and actions. Many children can identify that they feel “mad” or “frustrated,” but they struggle to recognize how those emotions influence their choices.

Using engaging lessons through videos and games to teach emotions, might be the best first step. When children can name their emotions, they can identify when they are experiencing emotions that might lead to behaviors that they will regret later, leading to more negative emotions and low self-esteem.

Here is a fun Video-Game that I like to use with both small groups and whole-class lessons on learning about the different emotions:

To get the BINGO Cards CLICK HERE!

Social Skills Stories can Help Teach Emotions Too!

Using structured tools like the Social Skills Story Coloring Books, Expected vs. Unexpected Behaviors or Understanding and Controlling BIG EMOTIONS allows students to slow down and reflect. Through relatable scenarios and visual supports, students can explore common school-based frustrations and discuss multiple ways those situations could be handled. Coloring adds a calming component, making it especially effective counseling activity for students who shut down during verbal discussions.

Making Behavior Choices Concrete with Interactive Games

Abstract discussions about “appropriate behavior” often don’t stick—students learn best when they can experience the decision-making process. Interactive counseling games help transform vague expectations into concrete, memorable lessons.

The Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Behaviors Beach Ball & Card Deck Game (Grades 4–11) encourages students to think critically about behavior choices in a relaxed, non-judgmental setting. As students respond to prompts, counselors can guide reflection with questions like:

• What could you do instead?
• How might this choice affect others?
• What would help you pause next time?

This format is ideal for small groups and upper elementary or middle school students who benefit from peer discussion and perspective-taking.

Reinforcing Expected Behaviors Across Ages with the Counseling Games Bundle

One of the biggest challenges for school-based providers is meeting the needs of students across multiple grade levels…and avoiding the redundancy of playing the same few games over and over again. Kids like novelty, and they like when boring or uncomfortable topics are made fun. The Appropriate vs. Inappropriate BEHAVIORS Counseling Games Bundle (Grades 1–8) offers flexibility and differentiation, allowing counselors to tailor sessions based on developmental readiness.

Younger students may focus on identifying behaviors, while older students can engage in deeper discussions about intent, consequences, and self-monitoring. Using consistent language across multiple games helps reinforce learning and supports generalization across settings.

This bundle works particularly well for ongoing social skills groups or tiered interventions.

Normalizing Behavior Discussions Through Familiar Games Like Candy Land

For some students, talking about behavior can feel threatening or uncomfortable. Using a familiar board game format lowers defenses and increases engagement.

The Appropriate vs. Inappropriate BEHAVIORS Candy Land Counseling Game turns behavior reflection into a playful, approachable experience. As students move through the game, they encounter scenarios that mirror real-life frustrations, allowing them to practice identifying appropriate responses in a low-stress environment.

Counselors can extend the learning by asking students to role-play alternative behaviors or connect game scenarios to recent classroom experiences.

Quick, Effective Practice with Card Games and UNO

Not every counseling moment allows for a full session. Short, engaging activities are essential for check-ins, lunch-bunch groups, or brief interventions.

The Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Behaviors UNO Counseling Game (Grades K–8) is perfect for reinforcing skills quickly and consistently. These games encourage repetition, which is critical for helping students internalize behavior expectations—especially when emotions are high.

They are also easy to use across multiple settings, making them ideal for collaboration with teachers and support staff.

Final Thoughts: Teaching Behavior Is Teaching Skills

When students act out during moments of anger or frustration, it’s rarely about willful misbehavior—it’s about missing skills. By using intentional, engaging counseling games and activities, school counselors and school psychologists can help students build the tools they need to pause, reflect, and make better choices.

Behavior change doesn’t happen through lectures or consequences alone. It happens through practice, connection, and meaningful learning experiences—the kind that feel safe, supportive, and even…FUN.

Visit the Counseling Fanny Pack of Fun store in TpT TODAY for more FUN and ENGAGING School-based counseling activities!

The post Helping Students Choose Appropriate Behaviors When They’re Angry or Frustrated appeared first on The Counseling Fanny Pack.

If you’re a school psychologist managing a caseload of 60, 70, 80, 90, or even over 100 psychoeducational evaluations per school year—I see you. I feel your pain, and I want to help.

After 18 years in this field, I’ve watched my workload increase from 60 evaluations a year to over 100 in the most recent school year. It’s beyond unsustainable. A coworker even called my caseload “criminal,” and honestly, I had to agree. On top of those 100 evaluations, I also provided counseling services to 20 students, covered two elementary school sites, reported to 17 specialists and two principals, and tried to meet every IEP due date. Yes, I cried in my office sometimes. But something changed everything: AI.

Rethinking AI: A Tool, Not a Cheat

If you’re hesitant to use artificial intelligence because it feels like cheating or a shortcut, I’d encourage you to reframe your thinking. AI is not about bypassing ethics or quality—it’s a tool that allows trained, credentialed professionals like us to reclaim our time and focus on what matters most: supporting students.

AI doesn’t replace your clinical judgment. Instead, it supports your role by reducing the hours spent on repetitive tasks like writing up observations or scoring rating scales. When used wisely, it actually enhances your ability to do your job well.

The Turning Point: My Journey Into AI

I began using AI in Fall 2024. I started slow, experimenting over the summer by uploading tables and test data into an AI tool called Bastian GPT—a HIPAA-compliant platform recommended by another psychologist. By September, I was all in.

The impact was immediate: I stopped working on reports in my car during my kids’ practices. I spent my evenings watching shows with my husband instead of writing eligibility statements. The work was still getting done—better and faster—but without taking over my life.

What You Can Use AI For

1. Record Reviews

Record reviews can be tricky because they often involve scanning physical or digital documents. If the records are online and can be copied, I paste them into the AI to summarize. If not, I use voice-to-text features to dictate the key points into the report, then polish the summary with AI.

2. Assessment Summaries and Analysis

AI can help analyze cognitive, processing, and behavioral data, including:

• Standardized test results
• Rating scales from teachers and parents
• Direct student input
• Classroom observations

It can generate summaries, compare findings, and suggest trends—all of which I carefully review and revise to align with my clinical opinion.

3. Parent and Teacher Questionnaires

One of the first tasks I automated was the summarizing of interviews and questionnaires. I converted my paper questionnaires into Google Forms and now email links directly to parents and teachers. It’s faster, more efficient, and minimizes the time spent chasing down paperwork. Difficult parents or non-responsive teachers? You know who I’m talking about—this helps with them too.

If you want to learn more about how I use AI to write my parent and teacher sections, check out this video:

Using Bastian GPT: How I Organize My Reports

For every student, I create a dedicated chat thread in Bastian GPT. As I collect data—test scores, observations, rating scales—I input them into that thread. This method keeps everything organized and allows the AI to produce consistent, integrated write-ups.

When it’s time to draft the eligibility statement or write recommendations, I have all the inputs in one place. Even though I don’t conduct academic testing in my district, I can input teacher or speech pathologist assessments into the AI to get a more complete narrative for the report.

AI Is a Tool—You’re Still the Expert

Here’s the most important thing: don’t blindly trust AI. You are the trained professional. Sometimes the AI may misinterpret a test name or confuse two assessments. It’s your job to:

• Carefully review everything it writes
• Reword, edit, or regenerate content as needed
• Ensure the final report reflects your professional insights

AI supports your process, but you are the author and the authority.

More Time for What Matters Most

You can’t just feed scores into AI and expect a perfect report. But if used well, tools like Bastian GPT can save you hours, improve your report quality, and—most importantly—give you back your life outside of work.

If you’re interested in learning how to start, I’ve created a 90-minute course that walks you through exactly how I use AI in my workflow—from building digital questionnaires to organizing student chats and using AI to draft report sections. While my own practice has evolved since creating the course, it’s a great introduction for anyone new to AI in school psychology.

The Future Is Human—with Help from AI

I don’t believe AI will ever replace school psychologists. The heart of our job is human connection: helping children navigate learning, emotions, and growth. But what AI can do is give us back the time and mental space to focus on that human part of our work.

And that’s where it truly shines.

If you’d like to try Bastion GPT for FREE for 30-Days (instead of 7-days), just click my link HERE.

To get started on learning how to use AI for your Psych Reports, check out the Video Course! In just 90 minutes, you’ll be weeks ahead of the game in using AI. It’s time to start saving hours and hours of your valuable time…TODAY!

The post How AI Saved My Sanity as a School Psychologist appeared first on The Counseling Fanny Pack.

What Test Anxiety Really Feels Like

If you’ve ever walked into a test feeling confident—only to blank out, freeze up, or panic the moment the timer starts—you’re not alone. Test anxiety is incredibly common, especially among high school and college students. It’s not just “nerves”—it can seriously impact performance, even when you know the material. The good news? With the right tools and a structured plan, you can move from overwhelmed to prepared—and even confident.

Why I Created the Test Anxiety Tactics Workbook

As a School Psychologist and Licensed Educational Psychologist who has worked with students for over 17 years, I’ve seen how test anxiety shows up in many forms: racing thoughts, shaky hands, mind blanks, or even full-on dread the night before. That’s why I created the Test Anxiety Tactics Workbook—a 96-page guide filled with real strategies to help students calm their bodies, manage their thoughts, and perform with confidence. The workbook can be used by counselors, therapists, school psychologists, or individually by the students themselves if they are in middle school, high school, or college.

The workbook is available in several formats, including a pre-printed workbook on Amazon, or a printable and/or fillable PDF copy for your computer.

Step 1: Identify Your Personal Anxiety Patterns

So how do you break the cycle of panic and start feeling more in control? It begins with understanding what’s really triggering your anxiety. The workbook walks you through this with self-reflection exercises that help you recognize your personal symptoms and patterns—whether it’s perfectionism, fear of failure, or negative self-talk that spirals out of control. Awareness is the first step toward change.

Step 2: Train Your Body to Stay Calm

Next, you need to train your body to feel safe in testing environments. Test anxiety is as much physical as it is mental. That’s why the workbook includes step-by-step breathing techniques, grounding exercises, and body-based calming strategies you can practice at home—and use during the test itself. These tools give your nervous system something to anchor to when anxiety starts creeping in.

1. Practice “Pairing” a Calming Scent with Study Time

Our brains form associations between environments and emotions. You can use this to your advantage by introducing a calming scent—like lavender, vanilla, or peppermint—while you study or do relaxation exercises. Then, bring that same scent (on a lotion, essential oil bracelet, or scented hand wipe) with you on test day.

Why it works: Your brain begins to associate the scent with calm focus. Smelling it during the test can help “bring you back” to that relaxed state you practiced.
Example: Dab a small amount of lavender lotion on your wrist during study sessions, then use that same lotion just before the test begins.

🫁 2. Use a 4-7-8 Breathing Pattern to Reset Your Nervous System

Your breath is one of the fastest ways to communicate safety to your brain and body. The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a simple way to slow down your heart rate and calm racing thoughts.

How to do it:

1. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds
2. Hold your breath for 7 seconds
3. Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds
4. Repeat 3–4 times

When to use it: Right before a test starts, when you begin to feel overwhelmed, or as part of your bedtime routine to improve sleep before a big exam.

🤲 3. Ground Yourself with Touch and Physical Anchoring

Touch is a powerful regulator of the nervous system. Try using a physical object—like a smooth stone, fidget tool, or even pressing your hands together—to stay grounded when anxiety strikes.

Try this exercise:
Place both feet flat on the floor. Press your fingertips together or hold a small, textured object in your hand. Focus on the sensation for 30 seconds. Notice what you feel (warmth, texture, pressure). This shifts your attention away from racing thoughts and back into your body.

Bonus tip: Keep the same object with you during study sessions and the test to strengthen the calming association—just like with scent pairing.

Step 3: Rewire Your Thoughts with CBT

Once your body is calmer, it’s time to work on your thinking habits. Many students unknowingly sabotage their performance with thoughts like “I’m going to fail” or “Everyone else is smarter than me.” The workbook uses proven Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques to help you identify these unhelpful beliefs and replace them with supportive, realistic self-talk that builds confidence over time.

What Is CBT? (And How It Helps with Test Anxiety)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective, research-backed approaches for managing anxiety—including test anxiety. It’s based on a simple but powerful idea:

💡 The way you think affects how you feel—and how you behave.

CBT helps you recognize unhelpful thought patterns (like “I’m going to fail” or “I’m not smart enough”) and teaches you how to challenge and reframe those thoughts into more realistic, empowering beliefs.

🔄 The CBT Model: Thoughts → Feelings → Behaviors

Let’s break it down:

• Thoughts: What you say to yourself (e.g., “I’ll probably fail this test.”)
• Feelings: How that thought makes you feel (e.g., anxious, panicked, overwhelmed)
• Behaviors: What you do in response (e.g., procrastinate, freeze during the test, or avoid studying)

CBT helps you interrupt that cycle by changing yo

✏️ Example 1: Before CBT

Situation: You have a big math test tomorrow.
Automatic Thought: “I’m terrible at math. I always fail.”
Feeling: Nervous, hopeless
Behavior: Avoid studying, don’t sleep well, freeze during the test

✅ Example 2: After Practicing CBT

Situation: You still have a big math test tomorrow.
Reframed Thought (CBT): “I’ve struggled in the past, but I’ve been preparing. I’ll do my best and use my strategies.”
Feeling: More calm, capable
Behavior: Review material, use breathing exercises, stay focused

Notice how the situation didn’t change—the test is still coming—but your reaction is completely different because your thoughts are more helpful.ur thoughts, which then improves your feelings and behaviors.

🧩 How the Test Anxiety Tactics Workbook Uses CBT

The workbook helps students:

• Identify their own common anxious thoughts
• Learn how those thoughts impact their test performance
• Challenge and practice replacing negative thoughts with more balanced ones
• Practice positive self-talk before and during exams
• Build confidence through repeated reflection and CBT-based journaling

You don’t have to “think positive” in a fake way. CBT helps you think in a more accurate and empowering way—so you’re mentally prepared, not just hopeful.

Step 4: Create a Personalized Test-Day Plan

Finally, the workbook helps you create your own personalized test-day routine, including study strategies that work with your brain—not against it. You’ll also build a plan for the morning of the test, what to do if anxiety strikes mid-exam, and how to debrief afterward to improve over time. It’s a full system for staying calm, focused, and prepared.

Take the First Step Toward Confidence

If you’re ready to stop letting anxiety control your performance, take the first step today. The Test Anxiety Tactics Workbook is available now on Amazon or on the SoCal Educational Evaluations website as a printable or fillable PDF. It’s more than a workbook—it’s a roadmap to becoming the calm, confident test-taker you’ve always wanted to be.

Need a Little Extra Support? The Video Course Can Help

If you’re working through the Test Anxiety Tactics Workbook and feel like you need more structure, guidance, or encouragement along the way, the full video course is the perfect next step. This self-paced course walks you through each section of the workbook with short, easy-to-follow video lessons that bring the strategies to life. You’ll see calming techniques demonstrated, learn how to apply mindset shifts in real time, and hear real talk about what to do when anxiety shows up. It’s a great option if you learn best through visuals or need extra support turning the workbook strategies into real habits.

The post From Panic to Prepared: Steps to Overcome Test Anxiety appeared first on The Counseling Fanny Pack.

Watching your child work hard toward their college or graduate school goals is exciting—but it can also be stressful, especially if they struggle with a learning disability, ADHD, anxiety, or another condition that makes standardized testing difficult. The good news is that students with documented disabilities are entitled to fair and equal access through testing accommodations, even when in college. Whether your child is preparing for the SAT, ACT, LSAT, or another high-stakes exam, understanding how to secure accommodations can make all the difference in their success.

What Are Testing Accommodations?

Testing accommodations are adjustments that allow students with disabilities to demonstrate their abilities without being hindered by their diagnosis. These can include:

• Extended time
• Extra breaks
• Quiet testing environments
• Alternate test formats (e.g., large print, braille)
• Permission to use certain assistive devices

Each testing organization—such as the College Board (SAT), ACT, or LSAC (LSAT)—has its own specific guidelines, so it’s important to review the requirements early.

Why Up-to-Date Documentation Matters

A key part of the accommodations process is having current and thorough documentation of your child’s disability and how it impacts their test-taking abilities. This typically requires a comprehensive psychological assessment for testing accommodations from a licensed professional. If your child is still in high school, you can request this evaluation from the school psychologist at your child’s school. If your child is in college, however, getting an evaluation may be harder to obtain.

At SoCal Educational Evaluations, we specialize in assessments for students of all ages. Our detailed reports meet the exact requirements set by the SAT, ACT, LSAT, and other exam boards, helping to streamline your child’s application and improve their chances of approval.

Steps Parents Can Take to Secure Testing Accommodations

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Review Eligibility Guidelines

Check the specific requirements for your child’s exam to understand what documentation is needed and which accommodations are available.

2. Gather Existing Documentation

Collect any prior assessments, IEP or 504 plans, medical records, and other relevant documents that confirm your child’s diagnosis and history of accommodations.

3. Schedule a Psychological Evaluation

If your child’s documentation is outdated or incomplete, book a comprehensive evaluation. SoCal Educational Evaluations offers both in-person and virtual assessments across California to fit your schedule.

4. Submit Your Request Early

Each exam has strict deadlines. Be sure to submit the full application—including the evaluation report—well in advance of your child’s test date.

5. Follow Up and Prepare to Appeal

If accommodations are denied, don’t give up. You have the right to appeal with additional documentation or clarification from your psychologist.

Let’s Work Together to Support Your Child’s Success

If you believe your child may benefit from testing accommodations, don’t wait until the last minute. Our team at SoCal Educational Evaluations is here to guide you through the entire process, from consultation to a full psychological or psychoeducational evaluation. We proudly offer testing for students across California and in-person services throughout Southern California. Contact us today to book a free 20-minute consultation and ensure your child has the support they need to succeed for years to come.

The post A Parent’s Guide to College Entrance Exam Accommodations (SAT, ACT, LSAT & More) appeared first on The Counseling Fanny Pack.

Do you want to be writing psychoeducational reports on your weekends?

If your answer is NO! Then it is time to get over your fear of AI

Are you spending too much time writing reports and not enough time helping students? You’re not alone! Many school psychologists struggle with long, detailed reports. What if you could cut your report-writing time in half?

I’ve been there. Even as I write this article, I have over 20 open assessment plans. And caseloads are only getting larger.

If you’re like I was, weekend can disappear as I used to work round the clock, trying to meet deadlines. The stress is overwhelming. Even when I had an intern last year, I was falling behind and feeling overwhelmed.

That’s when I took the leap this school year and decided to try an AI tool like Bastion GPT in the fall. Now, I spend less time writing reports and more time supporting students….and makign products for counseling my students that I sell in my store, The Counseling Fanny Pack of Fun. My newest product is a 90-minute video course that cab teach school psychologists how to use AI to speed up report writing while keeping quality high. I made it as I wrote a report and given explanations for each step that I take and how I direct the AI to write the reports that can’t be distinguished from if I was typing them myself.

What You’ll Learn in the Course

This course takes you step by step through using AI for psychoeducational report writing. You’ll see real examples from my work, showing how AI can help with:

✅ Summarizing questionnaires (teacher/parent reports, student interviews)
✅ Writing cognitive and processing test summaries (WISC-V, WRAML, CTOPP)
✅ Interpreting rating scales (BASC-3, Conners-4)
✅ Writing eligibility and diagnosis sections for SLD, ADHD, and more
✅ Creating recommendations and IEP goals that fit student needs

Who Should Take This Course?

✔️ School Psychologists & Evaluators
✔️ Special Education Professionals
✔️ Graduate Students & New Psychologists

This self-paced course includes 7 video modules, so you can watch in any order. Whether you’re new to AI or looking for advanced tips, this course makes report writing easier.

Try It for Free!

Want to see how it works? Watch Module 1 for FREE and try it out!

Bonus: Free 30-Day Trial of Bastion GPT

You don’t need to buy the course to try Bastion GPT, but this course will help you use it like a pro. Sign up for a 30-day free trial and see how AI can transform your workflow.

💡 Start now and take back your time—focus on what matters most: helping students!…and having time for yourself and your family on YOUR Weekends!

#AIinEducation #SchoolPsychology #ReportWriting #SpecialEducation #EdTech #EfficiencyMatters

The post How School Psychologists Can Become an Expert in Using AI in less than 2 Hours! appeared first on The Counseling Fanny Pack.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing many industries, but some school psychologists are still unsure about using it. Why is that? Here’s 3 reasons that I can think of as to why school psychologists might not be using AI yet, and how learning to use AI can actually make your job easier and reduce your stress!

1. Fear of the Unknown

AI sounds complicated, and many people worry it will be hard to learn. The idea of relying on technology for sensitive tasks like psychological evaluations can feel risky. But tools like Bastion GPT are designed to be simple and helpful, especially for tasks like report writing.

Even a little practice can show you how AI makes your work smoother, not harder. With guided instruction and easy-to-follow steps, you’ll quickly see that AI is more of a trusted assistant than a confusing machine.

2. Concern About Accuracy

School psychologists care deeply about getting things right for their students. It’s true that AI isn’t perfect, but when used as a support tool, it can speed up the writing process and still allow you to review and refine the results. AI can help you organize thoughts, catch grammar mistakes, and even suggest alternative phrasing to make reports clearer and more parent friendly. Instead of replacing your expertise, AI amplifies it, letting you dedicate more energy to thoughtful analysis and less to repetitive writing tasks.

3. Lack of Time to Learn Something New:

With busy schedules, finding time to learn AI might feel impossible. And, let’s face it, learning something new is always a sourse of stress. But what if taking that time can save you TONS of time as soon as next week. In my experience, once you learn how to work with AI, you’ll never look back!

That’s because saving time on report writing can reduce your level of stress and feelings of being “swamped” that go hand in hand with being a school psychologist. That’s more time for supporting your students, supporting families, and NOT report writing in your off-time at home!

Plus, many AI tools are designed with busy professionals in mind — you can start small, experimenting with just one or two features or aspects of your reports at a time. I started with using it for parent and teacher questionnaires, and then made the leap to cognitive tests and rating scales. Even dedicating just 30 minutes a week to learning AI can pay off with massive time savings in your day-to-day work.

4. Fear of Not Being FERPA or HIPAA Compliant:

Handling student data comes with serious responsibilities, and many school psychologists worry that using AI might compromise confidentiality. It’s essential to protect sensitive information, but the good news is that Bastion GPT is fully accredited for both FERPA and HIPAA compliance. This is why I decided to use it. This means you can confidently use the platform, knowing it meets strict privacy and security standards.

By choosing a tool designed with compliance in mind, you can embrace AI’s benefits without sacrificing the safety of your students’ information. There are other AI tools, but since I felt so comfortable with this one, I haven’t taken the time to ry out others. Yes, I have more time, but not THAT MUCH spare time.

Here’s my video on how I got started with using AI for my psychoeducational reports.

Why You Should Start Using AI TODAY

Imagine cutting down the time it takes to write detailed, accurate reports. With Bastion GPT, you can quickly draft sections, get suggestions for wording, and focus more on helping students instead of stressing over paperwork. AI can handle the more mechanical parts of writing, like structuring content or generating templates, freeing you up to add your personal touch where it matters most. The result? High-quality reports that truly reflect your professional insights, created in a fraction of the time.

Ready to Learn?

If you’re a school psychologist who wants to make report writing faster and easier, check out our quick and inexpensive course on using AI with Bastion GPT. It’s the perfect way to step into the future of school psychology without feeling overwhelmed. In just a short time, you can gain the skills to transform your workflow and reclaim valuable hours in your week.

Don’t get left behind — empower your practice with AI today!

The post Why some School Psychologists are NOT using Artificial Intellegence YET! appeared first on The Counseling Fanny Pack.