251. Empowering Student Success Through Executive Functioning with Laura Filtness

School Counseling Simplified Podcast

Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! It’s June, which means Summer Summit is right around the corner. This is my virtual conference for school counselors happening June 11–12. We’re featuring an incredible lineup of speakers, live Q&A sessions, and even a happy hour! For just $39, you get your seat at the Summit and your first month of IMPACT.

To celebrate, we’re featuring podcast guests throughout June and July who will be presenting at the Summit. Today, I’m joined by Laura Filtness—also known as the PAWSitive School Counselor! Laura shares her insights on using therapy dogs in schools, working with students on executive functioning, and what her day-to-day role looks like as a school counselor.

Laura Filtness, M.Ed., is a seasoned school counselor based in Knoxville, TN, with over 15 years of experience. Known for her love of animals and her therapy dog Boss, Laura believes in the power of books and animals to support emotional growth and student connection. She has presented nationally on mindfulness, ADHD support, and classroom engagement, and holds multiple ASCA Specialist certifications. She is the author of the upcoming children’s book My Brain Is Like a Puppy, set to be released by Boys Town Press.

When she’s not counseling, Laura teaches yoga and Pilates, renovates her home, and works for a home organization business called Help You Dwell. She also enjoys staying creative through writing and speaking engagements.

In this episode, Laura shares:

• How she integrates therapy dogs into her counseling program and the thoughtful steps she takes to support students who may be afraid of dogs, including family communication, opt-out options, and classroom dog-safety lessons.

• A sneak peek into her Summer Summit session on helping students with executive functioning challenges. Laura explains the concept of “body doubling” and how it can be used in schools to help students initiate and complete tasks. She shares real-life examples, including how she supports first graders in their classrooms by modeling behaviors and reinforcing strategies.

• What a typical day looks like as a school counselor, especially in a split-school role. Laura walks us through her daily rhythm, ranging from morning announcements, classroom lessons, and small groups to drop-in sessions and time tracking at the end of the day.

• Her advice for new school counselors: Take the pressure off. Laura encourages new counselors to spend their first year observing, listening, and building relationships instead of trying to do everything at once. She also shares practical time management tips like habit stacking to create sustainable routines.

• The inspiration behind her upcoming books including how her therapy dog Boss has influenced her work and writing. Plus, how storytelling and picture books can be powerful tools for building empathy and social-emotional learning in any grade level.

Join the IMPACT Membership

Want access to hundreds of counseling resources, monthly exclusive trainings (with PD certificates), and a supportive community of school counselors? My IMPACT membership gives you all of that and your ticket to Summer Summit! Learn more and join today by clicking the link in the show notes.

Resources Mentioned:

• Summer Summit

Connect with Rachel:

• TpT Store

• Blog

• Instagram

• Facebook Page

• Facebook Group

• Pinterest

• Youtube

Connect with Laura:

• pawsitiveschoolcounselor.com

• Instagram

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!