SEL is an acronym for Social Emotional Learning. But… What is it?

“SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.” (CASEL, 2022)

SEL is an approach most commonly used in schools to better enhance each student’s availability to learn and grow within and beyond the classroom setting. When SEL initiatives are implemented in a school setting, the lessons and objectives are geared toward building the foundation and overall improvement of a student’s social and self awareness, emotion regulation and responsible decision making. SEL skills are used and necessary at each age, whether your child is going into their first year of school as a kindergartener or navigating peer relationships in middle school or starting their new job- SEL teaches children, teens and young adults the skills of building and maintaining positive and meaningful relationships, solving problems within and beyond the classroom, coping with unwanted or overwhelming thoughts and emotions.

SEL is also used outside of the classroom and can be integrated in the ways we speak, coach, mentor and support our children. SEL’s fundamentals are built around the language we use when speaking and interacting with children, teens and young adults. SEL goals and objectives line with gearing up our generations to come with healthy forms of communication, strategy, perspective and awareness. The skills of communication, empathy and more are not just “single lessons”, they are lessons that develop and enhance the skills that one will use their entire lifetime.

Here are some of my favorite SEL books:

1. The Way I Feel

2. My Mouth is a Volcano

3. What Should Danny Do?

Our practice, Integrative Therapy and Coaching, is known for our adolescent counseling services, integrative psychotherapy, and emotion regulation therapy.

We see the value in mindfulness when providing services such as family counseling in CT and Psychotherapy in CT. If you would like to learn more about our SEL initiatives, Mindfulness approach and DBT in CT and the resources and network we share, contact us today to schedule your FREE consultation!

Fundamentals of SEL. (2022). CASEL.Org. https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/