Winston the dog helps educator win National School Counselor of the Year

By Sean Daly

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    SARASOTA, Florida (WFTS) — Dr. Carmen Larson, a school counselor at Sarasota Middle School, says her job is no longer just about “guidance.”

In fact, with a 2-year-old goldendoodle named Winston by her side, the educator has helped redefine the position.

And that new approach — plus the adorable empathetic dog — helped Dr. Larson become the National School Counselor of the Year.

“Our role has really evolved and shifted over the last couple of decades,” said Dr. Larson.

“We used to be called guidance counselors, but that’s not what we do. We work with students in a capacity of supporting their mental health, supporting their academic achievements, supporting them to that career, that college.”

In a recent ceremony in Washington, D.C., the American School Counselor Association awarded Dr. Larson the group’s highest honor.

As well as her passion for students, she advocates for greater resources to help kids regulate their emotions during the formative middle-school years.

When a previous award she won came with funding, she commenced the process to get Winston.

The pup has since done nothing less than change the culture and climate at the school.

“Winston promotes kindness and empathy,” said Dr. Larson.

“He helps students understand their own behavior. So if their behavior is making him feel a little bit worried, they pick up on that, and they re-regulate their own behavior.”

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