Professional School Counselor Academy: Rain or Shine
Region 7 ESC Counselor Academy: Rain or Shine
October 8, 2024
Join us for our annual School Counselor Academy where you will learn new strategies and activities to use in supporting social, emotional, and academic success as students frame their present and future vision. Professional school counselors will enhance best practices, skills, and knowledge to improve positive outcomes for all students
Dr. Loren Dittmar
Professional School Counselor and Speaker
Professional School Counselor and Speaker
Dr. Loren Dittmar is a Professional School Counselor with 22 years of experience, including 17 years in schools and 5 years in clinical settings. He is the Director of School Counseling at a Title 1 high school in Charleston, SC. Loren is also an adjunct professor with 8 years of teaching experience. He is the current Director of the Emerging Leaders Program for the Palmetto State School Counselors Association and Co-Director of the PSSCA annual conference. Dr. Dittmar previously served on the Board of Directors of the California Association of School Counselors, and with his PhD in Psychology, he served as their lead expert in the development of the mental health section of the covid19k12counseling.org website.
Dr. Dittmar is a sought-after conference presenter on the topics of school mental health and suicide prevention. With his personal and professional experiences of loss due to suicide, his audiences not only have an incredibly moving experience, but walk away with practical tools and resources.
Loren has been married for 13 years to his wife, Cami, and they have 4 children, ages 9 through 20. Together they have fostered several children and their journey of raising an ‘expanded version’ of a family has brought a unique and real-world perspective to Loren’s presentations on various educational topics.
Find out more about Dr. Dittmar!
Keynote: Your Mental Health Matters with Dr. Loren Dittmar
As School Counselors, we are often pulled in a million directions at once, and it’s so easy to get into the habit of giving more than humanly possible. If you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and need to develop better balance, join Dr. Dittmar in this interactive session about modeling the things we teach our students: boundaries, self-care, and optimism. And discover how to sustain this throughout the years of your career.
AI in School Counseling with Carl Mohn
As AI continues to evolve, it offers promising tools and resources that can revolutionize how school counselors support students’ academic, emotional, and social development. Carl Mohn, specialist at Region 7 ESC discusses how AI plays into the future of the school counseling profession.
Becoming a Crest Award Winner with Errin French
In this session, participants will work through the CREST award application process. The CREST honors comprehensive school counseling programs that serve student needs and make a difference in student outcomes! The CREST is fully aligned with the Texas Model and will help you advocate for your program. It's also a great way to show off all the wonderful things you've accomplished! Come to this session to get started!
Groups, Groups, Groups! The Key to Comprehensive School Counseling
Counseling Groups are the most effective way of providing our services to the maximum number of students every week, yet there are many counselors, especially at the high school level, who miss the opportunity to implement them regularly (or at all). What prevents you from providing groups? Time? Preparation? Fear? Whatever has been your barrier, let’s break through that today! Join Dr. Dittmar to learn how you can maximize your effectiveness!
Post-Secondary Challenges with Dave Funk, TJC Honors Program
Students who flourish in high school sometimes have unexpected challenges navigating the post-secondary world. Dave Funk, with the Tyler Junior College Honors Program, discusses challenges he sees in his students and how we can better prepare them at the high school level to be more successful in the "real world."
TBRI for Trauma-Informed Classrooms with Lauri Anderson
Join us for an empowering and transformative workshop designed specifically for school counselors who are committed to fostering safe and supportive learning environments. In this session, school counselors will learn how using the Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) framework cam help create trauma-informed classrooms.
Trauma in Littles with Heather Gilbert
Our youngest students are often the most challenging. In this session, participants will learn about how trauma manifests in our smallest students. They will discuss coping skills and strategies that work with this particular age group.
