On April 22, 2026, the ChinaICAC Professional Development Committee held a webinar on “Integrating Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into College Counselling.” CUE’s founder, Xixi Wang, was invited to present on the topic. It was a meaningful opportunity to share CUE’s perspectives on how Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) can help counsellors better accompany students through the emotional, academic, and personal transitions that emerge during this life stage. In this article, we briefly recap what Xixi shared during the webinar.
Participation & Audience Sign-ups: 60
Actual attendees: 25–30
Audience profile: Counsellors and educators from international and bilingual schools across China
A post-event survey showed a satisfaction rate at 93.33%
ChinaICAC has alsp published an event recap on their WeChat official account, and you can read about it here.
IMAGE: A screenshot of all attendees in the webinar
China Institute of College Admission Counseling (ChinaICAC) is an organization of professionals from all over the world dedicated to serving Chinese students as they make choices about pursuing postsecondary education overseas. ChinaICAC is committed to developing the professionalism of all school based counselors in China by providing a wealth of networking and learning opportunities including but not limited to webinars, workshops, and conferences. ChinaICAC also effectively brings together high school counselors serving Chinese nationals and college admission officers. ChinaICAC is an independent organization based in China that has no official affiliations with International ACAC or NACAC. Learn more about ChinaICAC on their website.
IMAGE: A photo from ChinaICAC website
IMAGE: A PowerPoint slide from the webinar
The presentation opened with Xixi framing SEL not as a soft add-on, but as a powerful lever for building caring, just, inclusive, and healthy schools. With a global educational background in social justice and over a decade of commitment to relevant work, she bridged her academic focus with the topic of the day, and why CUE cares about SEL.
Drawing directly from CASEL, the session defined equity and excellence in SEL as ensuring that every student – regardless of race, income, learning ability, language, immigration status, gender identity, or sexual orientation – has access to high-quality opportunities that promote social, emotional, and academic development.
SEL advances educational equity through four key pathways:
Authentic school-family-community partnerships
Trusting and collaborative relationships
Rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction
Ongoing evaluation of policies, practices, and outcomes
Key takeaway: When SEL is prioritized, educators, families, and students work together so all young people can thrive.
IMAGE: Two PowerPoint slides from the webinar
The CASEL definition of SEL was reaffirmed: the process through which all young people and adults acquire skills to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve goals, show empathy, build supportive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
To ground the discussion in local reality, the presenter shared ChinaICAC’s counsellor survey findings:
80% lack training in SEL approaches
60% struggle to balance academic and emotional support
47% have limited time with each student
73% focus on college counseling, but only 26% regularly apply SEL
Average confidence in addressing social‑emotional
These data validated the urgent need for practical, time‑efficient SEL strategies.
IMAGE: Two PowerPoint slides from the webinar
Defining “The In‑Between”
Xixi introduced a central concept: the period students experience between high school and university (or any major life transition) as:
A period of profound rupture
A temporary psycho‑social state of liminality
A high‑arousal state
A developmental, relational, or skill gap
This framework helps counsellors understand why students may feel unmoored, anxious, or contradictory during the college application and pre-departure phase.
IMAGE: Two PowerPoint slides from the webinar
Rather than beginning with abstract definitions, Xixi grounded Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in what counsellors see and hear every day. Xixi stressed that all of these behaviours are typical, not pathological, during the high‑school‑to‑university transition.
Each behaviour was then mapped directly to a specific CASEL competency (self‑awareness, self‑management, relationship skills, social awareness, or responsible decision‑making). This behaviour-first approach transforms SEL from an abstract theory into a practical diagnostic tool: instead of asking “What SEL skill is this student missing?”, counsellors can ask “What am I observing right now, and which competency does that point to?” By starting with the visible, the session gave counsellors a concrete, non‑clinical way to recognize transitional struggles and respond with targeted, process‑focused support.
IMAGE: Three PowerPoint slides from the webinar
After mapping observable transition behaviours to SEL competencies, the presentation turned to two deeper questions: Why do these behaviours emerge so intensely during adolescence? And why do students respond so differently to the same transition? Slides 11 and 12 were designed to answer these questions by providing essential context.
Xixi introduced the neuroscience of the teenage brain, drawing on research by Steinberg and Blakemore. It explained that the amygdala (emotional reactivity) matures earlier than the prefrontal cortex (executive control and planning), creating a developmental mismatch. This asynchronous maturation helps counsellors understand why typical “In‑Between” behaviours – emotional swings, decision fatigue, avoidance, high self‑monitoring – are not signs of weakness or defiance, but rather the expected result of a brain still under construction. She then broadened the lens from biology to family systems. It reminded counsellors that adolescents do not arrive as blank slates; they come from different attachment histories, caregiving styles, and even intergenerational patterns of stress or trauma.
Together, these slides contextualize why students differ from one another: they have unique biological maturation timelines and unique family backgrounds. No two students experience “The In‑Between” in exactly the same way. For counsellors, this means moving away from a one‑size‑fits‑all approach and toward compassionate, individualized support that respects each student’s neurodevelopmental stage and relational history.
IMAGE: Two PowerPoint slides from the webinar
The Core Message
SEL is not an extra task – it is the relational foundation for effective college counselling. Counsellors are not therapists, but they occupy a unique position to:
Recognize “The In‑Between” state
Understand it without pathologizing
Provide process‑focused support
IMAGE: A PowerPoint slide from the webinar
Understanding what students feel and why they feel it is essential, but the next question is just as critical: What do counsellors do with this knowledge? Too often, schools operate as if academic support and emotional support belong in two separate boxes – as if a student’s college outcomes have nothing to do with their inner world, or as if emotional struggles should be handled by someone else before the student returns to “real” academic work. The sharing challenged this assumption directly.
There is no dichotomy between the cognitive and the emotional – they are one and the same when it comes to nurturing a whole student. An animated diagram revealed how counsellors and teachers often unconsciously label students. When a student shows “good outcomes” and “good behavior,” they are immediately seen as a “good student.” Underneath that label lie strong SEL competencies – even if educators do not have the vocabulary to name them. Conversely, when a student “acts out,” adults tend to see a “bad” emotion, then “bad” behavior, then a “bad” outcome – and quickly conclude this is a “bad student” who needs extra SEL support. This two‑track thinking is flawed. The so‑called “good student” is not devoid of emotional needs; they have simply internalized SEL skills in a way that produces compliant behavior and strong grades. However – and this is critical – a “good student” can become “bad” during a transitional period like the shift from high school to university. The “In‑Between” is a dynamic, high‑arousal state that tests everyone’s competencies, regardless of their previous track record. A student who once seemed emotionally steady may suddenly show avoidance, anxiety, or decision fatigue. This does not mean they have become a “problem student”; it means the transition has temporarily exceeded their existing skill set. The struggling student is not the only one who deserves SEL, nor is SEL only for those who act out. SEL is for every student – precisely because any student’s competencies can crack under the pressure of change. The presentation then animated the dissolve of the clear line that once separated “cognitive” from “emotional.” By the end of this section, the hope was that counsellors would no longer see two separate domains – academic vs. emotional – but rather one integrated reality: you cannot support a student’s college outcomes without also supporting their inner world, and you cannot address their emotions without grounding that work in their academic goals. In short, SEL is not a remediation program for the “bad” student; it is the universal foundation for all student development, especially during times of transition.
IMAGE: Two PowerPoint slides from the webinar
If SEL is truly for every student – and if the “In‑Between” transition can temporarily crack even the strongest competencies – then counsellors need more than just awareness. They need concrete, actionable strategies that fit into the real constraints of their work: limited time, heavy caseloads, and no clinical training. The session therefore shifted from why SEL matters to what counsellors can actually do. This part of the presentation began with honest data from the ChinaICAC counsellor survey, then moved into two powerful, immediately usable insights: first, what adolescents really need from the adults around them, and second, a clear framework for staying within the counsellor’s role while still providing deep SEL support.
IMAGE: Three PowerPoint slides from the webinar
The presentation then returned to the counsellor’s role one last time – not with new strategies, but with a quiet, powerful stance. Students in the “In‑Between” are on an emotional rollercoaster. Some days they feel ready to leave; other days they feel terrified. In the middle of that chaos, Xixi argued, sometimes the best thing a counsellor can do is simply be present and witness the student’s experience. This is not passive. It is an active, intentional choice to stop trying to solve, fix, or talk the student out of their feelings. Instead, the counsellor says, in effect: I see you. I hear you. This is hard. And you are not alone in it.
She then invited the audience to reflect: Think back to your own school years. Can you recall a teacher or counsellor who was simply “there” for you – not because they had perfect answers or fixed your problem, but because their steady, non‑judgmental presence made you feel held? That kind of support often stays with us longer than any single piece of advice. It is the essence of being both regulated (able to sit with a student’s distress without becoming dysregulated oneself) and responsive (tuning in without dismissing or over‑controlling). To witness and acknowledge a student’s experience – to name what they are going through without rushing to change it – is not doing nothing. It is doing something profoundly relational. And for many students navigating the rollercoaster of transition, that witnessed, acknowledged presence is exactly what allows them to eventually find their own footing.
IMAGE: A PowerPoint slide from the webinar
A series of recommended resources followed for those who wished to deepen their SEL practice: the Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning (Durlak et al.), Social and Emotional Learning as Foundation for Future Readiness (Park et al.), and Donna Lord Black’s Essentials of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) – a practical guide for whole‑school, whole‑child implementation. The session then offered a brief visual pause before closing with an introduction to CUE (A Life Transition Space for Everyone) , founded in 2020 to design digital tools, solutions, and events that support major life transitions. Counsellors were invited to visit the website at cuelifetransition.com or scan the QR code for more resources.
IMAGE: A PowerPoint slide from the webinar
The session closed with a simple but profound reminder: the “In‑Between” is not a problem to be solved, but a developmental passage to be accompanied. SEL, at its heart, is not an extracurricular activity or a checklist of competencies. It is the relational ground on which students learn to navigate uncertainty, build self‑trust, and step into their own futures. The hope is that every counsellor leaves this session with a deeper understanding of the life transition stage from high school to university, the importance of SEL, the foundations of SEL, the desire to learn more about SEL, or simply the permission to be there – steady, kind, and present – as students take their most important leap.
