Transforming School Counseling: The Art and Science of ASCA National Model
School counseling has transformed from its guidance roots to a profession driven by data and purpose and defined by the ASCA National Model. In an ever-evolving educational landscape, school counselors remain champions of student success, fostering academic achievement, social/emotional development and life-readiness. The ASCA National Model- a framework rooted in equity, advocacy and systemic change- offers school counselors the tools to create impactful programs that touch every student's life. This session illuminates the transformative power of the ASCA National Model, exploring how it serves as both an evidence-based science and an art in addressing students' holistic needs.

Dr. Carmen Larson

Brainwashed: Cortisol, Conflict, and the Keys to Calm
Kids today face a cortisol crisis—stress hormones hijacking their brains, from playground meltdowns to TikTok spirals. In this workshop, Steph Jensen, unpacks cortisol’s role in child development and equips attendees with five practical SEL keys—Capable, Confident, Construct, Connect, and Contribute—to transform stress into resilience. Drawing from real stories and accessible brain science, we’ll explore cortisol impacts.

Steph Jensen

Believe in All Students: The School Counselor’s Role in Child Find and Early Identification
Every student has potential, and school counselors believe in that potential, even when hidden beneath academic, behavioral, or emotional challenges. This session examines the essential role K-12 school counselors play in the Child Find mandate under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Participants will explore how a belief in a student's ability to succeed drives early identification. Through real-world scenarios and practical strategies, attendees will learn how to recognize early warning signs, navigate the referral process, and collaborate effectively with families and multidisciplinary teams.

Donna Williams Lyons

FloridaShines: Empowering Students with Innovation
Discover FloridaShines, a comprehensive website offering FREE tools and resources to support students from K-12 to higher education and technical training. This state-funded service offers valuable assistance to help students excel in school, achieve their degrees, and pursue fulfilling careers. Join us to hear about new and existing FloridaShines services available to counselors, districts, and students across the state!

Ashley Thimmes
Sarah Michael Trupiano
Kelly Aycock

Just Talk About It
“Just Talk About It” is Minding Your Mind’s foundational mental health education program. Led by a clinician and featuring a young adult speaker, it equips parents, staff and students to recognize signs of mental health challenges, reduce stigma, and foster supportive conversations.

Aloma Somer
Rylee Slappey

Believing in Standards!
Join us for an engaging interactive seminar that bridges Florida’s state school counseling standards with the ASCA National Model. Discover how aligning these frameworks strengthens your comprehensive school counseling program, boosts student outcomes, and ensures compliance and accountability, and meets the needs of all students. Gain practical tools, actionable strategies, and expert guidance to elevate your program's impact and confidently meet evolving professional expectations.

Dr. Laura Cohen
Dr. Anna Owens

Working with Change Resistant School Counselors
Facing resistance within your school counseling department? Learn how to shift mindsets from traditional “guidance counseling” to a data-informed, comprehensive school counseling approach. Discover strategies to engage colleagues stuck in old habits, moving from reactive to proactive practices that focus on measurable student impact—not just activity. Transform resistance into collaboration and purpose-driven change within your school counseling team.

Dr. Brianna Patterson

What NOW? Transformative Trauma-Responsive Counseling: Bridging Knowledge to Action
Have you experienced professional development on trauma-informed care and ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) that left you and your staff wanting so much more? Come to this session to equip yourself with strategies that will take you and your staff from not just INFORMED but RESPONSIVE and ready for action in the day-to-day of creating safe havens for students. We will explore multi-tiered strategies for students that have experienced trauma as well as explore ideas to help move your staff mindset and buy-in to this important work as well.

Patti Hoelzle

From Classroom to Living Room: School Counselors Bridging the Gap in Home Education
Explore Florida's home education laws and discover effective strategies for brick and mortar school counselors to support families transitioning to and from home education. Gain insights into fostering smooth transitions and enhancing student success through support of the home education family.

Dr. Anne Flenner
Melinda Leftheris
Kellyann Rohr

From Me to We: Leading Through Collaboration
Discover how school counselors can lead from “me” to “we” by leveraging interpersonal influence, systemic collaboration, resourceful problem solving, professional efficacy, and advocacy. Begin with a self-assessment to identify your leadership strengths, then explore how these competencies can build your leadership toolkit and create an action plan for collaborative leadership.

Dr. Siobhan Murphy
Dr. Ann Tilman 
Dr. Sierra Goggins-Brown

Legislative Updates impacting academic advising for school counselors
The Florida Department of Education, Student Services Department, will provide an update on bills that were passed during the 2025 legislative session. The purpose of the presentation is to inform school districts of their new responsibilities, information and considerations of each bill related to student academic advising.

Kimberly Brumage
Jessica O'Neal

IVY: A small-group intervention for bullied youth
The creation of an Intervention for Victimized Youth (IVY) stemmed from the lack of small-group interventions that currently exist to help young individuals who experience peer victimization (i.e., bullying). IVY provides young individuals with strategies and information to cope with previous bullying experiences and prevent future bullying from occurring. Accessible materials are available for the intervention.

Lyndsay Jenkins

School Counselors are Counselors, too.
School counselors, in response to severe emotional needs of children, are expected to provide interventions previously reserved for mental health counselors. Many school counselors feel unprepared to provide mental health counseling and refer such children to the mental health professional in their respective school. However, school counselors must be prepared to identify/help “high-risk” students who may be suicidal or homicidal.

Patrick Davis

When ‘College Isn’t for Me’ Becomes a Starting Point, Not a Dead End
Many students say, “College isn’t for me,” but don’t know what’s next. This engaging session equips counselors to guide students through career options like trades, military, and public safety—while learning how to manage conversations with multiple recruiters in one place. Discover how to support student exploration without increasing your caseload or adding more to your plate.

Daniel Clark