Through evidence-based practices and strategies, as a school counseling intern, I sought to encourage Carlos, a thirteen-year-old boy with of ADHD, behavior and academic difficulties, to do better. choice. Approaches implemented included a reality therapy foundation with brief, solution-focused therapeutic interventions to help Carlos recognize that he can have control and accept responsibility for his actions. Through the modalities of Choice Theory, Reality Therapy, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, I hoped to empower Carlos as he entered the final semester of eighth grade and entered first grade. AnalysisMy first impression of Carlos was that he was so friendly and seemingly "normal" that I feared I had inadvertently asked the bad student for counseling. However, it soon became clear that this was my student and with three suspensions for behaviors such as bullying, using profanity and stealing, Carlos was running out of options and was at risk of 'be expelled. My director and my internship supervisor had asked me to work with Carlos and I was determined to do everything I could to help him turn things around. Since I didn't know Carlos personally, we spent a lot of time during the first session discussing general topics and feeling more comfortable talking about his concerns. Even with all the documentation, I felt like I had few preconceptions, a factor that worked in our favor as the relationship developed based on my perception of Carlos as a person and his level of security and trust. As a school counseling intern, I grew tremendously through this experience of developing a relationship with Carlos and providing guidance. My personal challenges included my extensive experience and...... middle of paper......during the summer, something he looked forward to. In that moment, I realized that Carlos had placed his trust in our relationship as we talked about the fun of summer and the types of activities that students like Carlos could enjoy. At that time, Carlos passed all his classes, got along well with his teachers and classmates, regularly attended extended days, and got along well with his mother. Although there is no valid way to claim that our sessions were the only factor in Carlos' improvement, I firmly believe that they contributed to his success. ReferencesBanks, SG, (2009). Choice Theory: Using choice theory and reality therapy to improve student achievement and responsibility. American School Counselor Association. Hess, R.S., Magnuson, S. and Beeler. L. (2012). Advice for children and adolescents in schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.