Counseling Special Populations in Schools

This book address nine unique and overlapping special populations of students whose life circumstances put them at greater risk for poor mental health outcomes and school failure: students who are homeless, students living in foster care, students involved with the juvenile justice system, students who are LGBTQ, students who are pregnant or parenting, students who are gifted, students with incarcerated parents, students in military families, and students who are at risk for school failure and dropout. Many of these students demonstrate incredible resilience in spite of their life circumstances, but they need mental health support to manage the impact of victimization, unstable living situations, and social stigma, among other challenges. Each chapter examines relevant background information regarding one population of students, provides specific counseling strategies and techniques to address students’ needs and promote resilience, and offers resources and strategies for supporting students beyond the counseling office. Individual and group counseling are addressed, as well as advanced counseling techniques, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, and motivational interviewing.