Why I'm Leaving School Counseling (And What the Broken System Has to Do With It)

After years inside the school counseling system, I have something to say that I have been sitting with for a while.At the end of this school year I am leaving school counseling. For good.Not because I stopped caring about students. Not because anything catastrophically wrong happened. Because something has shifted — in me, in the work I am building, in what I know I am meant to be doing — and staying would mean choosing comfort over truth.Today I am sharing the real story. The school I helped open and thought I would never leave. The toxic environment that forced a decision I was not ready to make. The year I spent at a new school — with people I genuinely love — testing whether the problem was the environment or me.And what that year confirmed about the system itself.In this episode I talk about:The reality of school counseling that most families never see — caseloads of 400 students, the recommended ratio of 250 to one, and what happens to college guidance when the system does not give counselors the capacity to do the job rightWhy the families who most need real guidance — first generation students, multilingual learners, families navigating a process nobody ever taught them — are often the ones who get the leastThe two things that made leaving feel not just right but necessary — a business that has outgrown my ability to run it part time, and a son who is about to be a seniorWhat I learned about loyalty, grief, and choosing yourself even when nothing is forcing you toWhy outgrowing a dream is not failure — and what that has to do with the students sitting across from me right now trying to figure out if their plan is still the right oneThe Turning Point Scholarship — and how the generosity of the families I work with is making it possible to bring full one-on-one college counseling to eight first generation and multilingual students completely free of chargeThis one is different from every other episode I have recorded. It needed to be.If you’re a parent navigating high school, college admissions, or the many transitions that come with raising teens, you’re in the right place.I’m Lindsay, a college counselor and parent who believes thoughtful guidance matters—especially for the awesomely average kid. The student who isn’t chasing prestige, but still deserves smart planning, clear strategy, and a path that truly fits.You can explore ways to work with me, learn about upcoming programs, or find additional resources at www.thecollegecounselingmom.com and sign up for my weekly newsletter here. If this episode was helpful, I’d be so grateful if you’d follow the show, leave a review, or share it with another parent who could use steady, grounded support.Thanks for being here. I’m honored to walk this season with you.Lindsay | The College Counseling Mom