High School Counseling in the Virtual Environment

Description

The sudden shift to virtual learning didn’t just change how students attend class—it disrupted the lifelines many of them rely on for emotional stability, academic support, and future planning. High school counselors became first responders in a digital crisis, tasked with guiding students through anxiety, trauma, and uncertainty—without the benefit of face-to-face connection.

This course offers practical solutions to help you stay grounded, effective, and ethical in a virtual counseling world where students still need you—maybe more than ever.

Dr. Ami Parker brings nearly three decades of school counseling expertise to this timely training. With 20 years as a high school counselor, four as Director of Counseling Services, and current service in middle school, her experience spans all levels of student development. As the current President of the North Carolina School Counselor Association, Dr. Parker is a recognized leader in shaping the field and understands both the daily realities and broader systems counselors must navigate.

Her approach is grounded, compassionate, and practical—drawing from firsthand experience of transitioning entire school districts to virtual counseling. Through this self-paced training, Dr. Parker guides participants in applying national standards to virtual practice while keeping students' safety, development, and access to services at the center.

Topics covered include building a comprehensive virtual counseling program, navigating ethical and legal boundaries in digital communication, managing office hours and virtual check-ins, coordinating crisis response protocols, and fostering student engagement in digital environments. You’ll also explore how to use needs assessments, minute meetings, college planning tools, and school-wide SEL strategies to support students and families.

Key Takeaways:

• Implement a virtual counseling program: Learn how to plan and adapt your school counseling services for a digital or hybrid environment.

• Manage student needs remotely: Get practical tools and templates for virtual communication, check-ins, appointment scheduling, and collaboration with support staff.

• Navigate ethics and boundaries: Understand the essential legal and ethical considerations that apply when providing behavioral health services to students virtually.

Why This Course?

• Built by school counselors, for school counselors: This course speaks directly to your real-world challenges and offers tools that work.

• Led by a respected expert: Dr. Ami Parker’s decades of leadership and advocacy ensure you’re learning from someone who understands both policy and practice.

• Backed by a trusted CE provider: Telehealth Certification Institute empowers clinicians with actionable, high-quality continuing education—so you can focus on what matters most: helping students thrive.

Learning Objectives:

• The participant will plan for implementing a comprehensive school counseling program with virtual options.

• The participant will get resources for managing student requests/needs in a virtual setting.

• The participants will have a better understanding of ethical considerations for virtual school counseling.

Whether you're adapting to a hybrid model or fully remote work, this course equips you to meet your students where they are—virtually and emotionally. Step confidently into your evolving role with strategies that strengthen connection, uphold ethics, and support student success.

Add this course to your cart to begin learning instantly.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study course comprising 1 hour of video instruction and a post-test.

Course Details

Availability: 

From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: 

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Dr. Ami Parker

Dr. Ami has worked in Gaston County Schools (NC) for 26 years, twenty as a high school counselor, four as Director of Counseling Services, and currently as a middle school counselor.  She served as President of the NC Counseling Association from 2009-10, has been regional Vice President of the Southwest Region, and current President of the NC School Counselor Association.  You can contact Ami by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours:

This course consists of 1 continuing education hour of credit.

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists: 

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1 clinical continuing education credit.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Addiction Professionals:

This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits, effective 2/23/2021. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists: 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals:

This course qualifies for 60 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement