Episode 55: Creating Safety: How School Counselors Support Students Through Trauma
From I Hear You Say by Jen Walsh
January 27, 2026
About this episode
The episode discusses how school counselors can support students through trauma and create safe environments for learning.
<img class=" wp-image-4727 aligncenter" src="https://videos.schoolcounselor.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ep55_social_media_1080x1080.jpg" alt="" width="275" height="275" /> In this episode of the I Hear You Say podcast, host Jill Cook, executive director of the American School Counselor Association, and co-host Janae Douglas, ASCA’s education and training coordinator, are joined by Dr. Sylvia Hollins, an experienced school counselor and trauma specialist. Hollins shares her journey into trauma and multicultural counseling and explains how trauma can affect students’ academic performance, behavior and social/emotional development. The conversation explores what it truly means to create trauma-informed school environments – spaces where students feel safe, supported and seen – and why school counselors and educators play a critical role in that work. Hollins offers practical tools, resources and real-world examples of effective crisis response and trauma-informed practices in schools. She also reinforces a powerful takeaway: the presence of caring, regulated adults can significantly reduce the impact of trauma and help…
People in this episode
Host: Jill Cook
Guest: Dr. Sylvia Hollins
Topics covered
- trauma-informed practices
- school counseling
- student support
- academic performance
- social/emotional development
- crisis response
Keywords
- trauma
- school counselors
- student safety
- academic support
- emotional development
- crisis management
- multicultural counseling
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: American School Counselor Association, ASCA, ASCA U, ASCA National Model®, www.schoolcounselor.org
More episodes of I Hear You Say
- Beyond Tiered Interventions: Strengthening MTSS in Schools · June 1, 2026
- Episode 58: Strengthening School Counseling: A Model for Training and Support · April 30, 2026
- Episode 57: The Power of School Counseling: 2026 SCOY Finalists Share Their Impact · March 26, 2026
- Episode 56: Opening Doors: The 2026 SCOY on Using Data to Help Each and Every Student Succeed · February 23, 2026
- Episode 54: Advocacy in Action: State Leaders Strengthening the School Counseling Profession · December 22, 2025
- Episode 53: Finding Our People: The Power of Affinity Groups in School Counseling · November 29, 2025
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