Why School Counselors Feel Like They’re Failing (Even When They’re Not)

Still feeling unsure- even with experience under your belt? This episode explains why doubt might be the best sign you’re doing the job well, not a reason to second-guess yourself.In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on what that uncertainty in school counseling really means. We’ll talk about the invisible labor of school counseling, what the research says about feedback-poor environments, and how self-doubt often shows up right when your skills are leveling up.You’ll learn:Why experienced counselors question themselves more, not lessHow silence and lack of validation chip away at even the strongest counselorsWhy messy, imperfect work is often the most effectiveAnd how to chase credibility instead of certaintyYou’re not failing; you’re growing. And you’re not alone.Mentioned in this episode:School for School Counselors MastermindFree School Counselor PlannerReferences:Culbreth, J. R., Scarborough, J. L., Banks‑Johnson, S. B., & Solomon, T. (2005). Role stress among practicing school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 9(2), 106–112. Dunning, D., & Kruger, J. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one’s own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1121–1134. Falender, C. A., & Shafranske, E. P. (2010). Psychotherapy‑based supervision models in an emerging competency‑based era: A commentary. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 47(1), 45–50. Hill, C. E., Sullivan, C., Knox, S., & Schlosser, L. Z. (2007). Therapist self‑disclosure: Research-based suggestions regarding clinical training, practices, and ethics. Psychotherapy Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 44(4), 392–407. Hochschild, A. R. (1983). The managed heart: Commercialization of human feeling. University of California Press. Jennings, L., & Skovholt, T. M. (2016). In T. M. Skovholt & K. Rønnestad (Eds.), Master therapists: Exploring expertise in therapy and counseling. Routledge. Skovholt, T. M., & Trotter‑Mathison, M. (2016). The resilient practitioner: Burnout prevention and self‑care strategies for counselors, therapists, teachers, and health professionals (3rd ed.). Taylor & Francis. (Original concept described in earlier editions as an “ambiguity‑rich, feedback‑poor environment.”) *********************************⭐️ Want support with real-world strategies that actually work on your campus? We’re doing that every day in the School for School Counselors Mastermind. Come join us! ⭐️**********************************Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and catalyze change for our roles through grassroots advocacy and collaboration. Listen to get to know more about us and our mission, feel empowered and inspired, and set yourself up for success in the wonderful world of school counseling.Hang out in our Facebook groupJump in, ask questions, share your ideas and become a part of the most empowering school counseling group on the planet! (Join us to see if we're right.)Join the School for School Counselors MastermindThe Mastermind is packed with all the things your grad program never taught you I This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.