As students returned this year to full-time, in-person learning, the toll of two years of personal and citywide trauma has been evident.

But school counselors have been there to meet students’ needs.

At the chapter’s 18th annual conference on March 12, titled School Counselors: Emotional First Responders, UFT President Michael Mulgrew said, “You are literally the first responders in terms of social-emotional challenges and crises.”

He said the union has been advocating strongly for more school counselors to be hired because the need is so great.

School Counselors Chapter Leader Rosemarie Thompson underlined the day’s theme for the 220 participants at the virtual event. “Our expertise is needed now more than ever,” she said, praising school counselors for “meeting this moment with excellence. You continue to be the pillars that hold up our schools.”

Members heard from keynote speaker John Pellitteri, the chair of Educational and Community Programs at Queens College, who talked about using emotional intelligence to build resilience in schools.

Althea Vega, a school counselor at the Young Adult Borough Center Program on the Franklin K. Lane Campus in Brooklyn, said his presentation “provided a lot of information about our current challenges and how we can support our students and ourselves as educators. I can turnkey and use a lot of his strategies to guide my students and my parents from now to the end of the year.”

Two mindfulness exercises presented by school counselor Madeline Velez from PS 58 in the Bronx fostered calm, focus and relaxation.

In a panel discussion, three practicing school counselors — Alba Urena, Margie Pardo and Jaime Olechowski — shared strategies for dealing with the anxiety, lack of motivation, social disconnection, anger and frustration they encounter as they support students making the transition back to in-person learning. And breakout sessions following the panel discussion gave counselors the opportunity to connect with one another and share what works for them.

Windis Jaquez, a school counselor at PS 143 in Corona, Queens, said the breakout-room discussions were a highlight of the event. “We shared our emails and will be in touch,” she said. “Everyone does something different, and we learn from each other.”

Participants found the conference both useful and inspiring.

“The conference was on a Saturday morning, and I dragged myself to turn on my computer,” said Nadege Normil, a school counselor at PS 201 in Flushing, Queens. “I’m so glad I did.”