A cost-free counseling model was developed to meet the changing needs of elementary school students in a small college city in California. A training program for graduate students was set up within the public school setting and was clinically supervised. Marriage, Family, and Child Counselor and Licensed Educational Psychologist internships were offered. Quality interns and trainees were attracted, in spite of the lack of a stipend, because of the training program and the opportunity to work with children. The techniques of play therapy were adapted to one-to-one and small-group school settings with highly successful results, as measured by resolutions of situational crises, changed behavior, and parent and teacher surveys. All students at risk for future emotional problems who were referred by either their parents or teachers were served. References are included. (Author/TE)