Being a kid is hard!  Having an adult to go to for guidance and support is important in every child's life and sometimes kids need someone other than their parents and teachers to talk to.  I am there for all students and any student can request to meet with me as needed.  In many cases, I will contact a parent or guardian after meeting with a student.  However,  in order to develop a trusting relationship with students, I only do so if the situation is a safety/security concern, is of a sensitive nature, or if the student gives me permission to do so.  A majority of my conversations with students are just an opportunity for them to vent to someone who will listen and in those situations, I do not contact parents.  

 

I primarily see students for academic counseling related to achievement, behavior, or attendance issues. School Counseling for mental health issues should be for temporary problems and usually lasts 6-8 weeks.  If a student is in need of more long term OR intensive therapy, I recommend seeing an outside therapist and can help you with a referral.  You can visit the Community Resources Page for a list of local mental health providers. 

 

I see students for a variety of reasons on a regular basis.  Some examples include: 

 

• Social Skill Development

• Dealing with Grief (Death or Loss of a Family Member or Friend)

• Dealing with Change (Divorce or Remarriage,  Moving Schools, Change in Family Dynamics)

• Anger Management

• Bullying

• Dealing with Conflict

• Growing Pains

• Peer Pressure

• Anxiety and Worry

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I am available to talk with students as needed.  For ongoing counseling services, I do need parent permission.  Often times, parents will contact me to request counseling for their child.  Please note that while I am trained to work with your child on issues such as those above, there are some students that have counseling needs beyond what I can do as a School Counselor and I am not trained to provide long-term or intensive therapy. In a case such as this, I may also recommend more intensive services through community agencies and can help you with accessing those services.  

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It is important for Parents & Teachers to understand the rules of counseling and the importance of confidentiality.  Because it is important for students to be able to talk with me, it is necessary for me to be trustworthy to keep their secrets. However, safety is more important than confidentiality.  In our first session, I explain to students that everything we talk about is between just us. I won't tell anyone what we discuss unless someone is or could be hurt or you give me permission.  

Some examples:

 

• You are hurting yourself or thinking about hurting yourself. 

• Someone is hurting you or you think they might hurt you. 

• You are hurting someone else or I think you might hurt someone. 

• Someone else is being hurt.

• You want me to share information with your parent or teacher. If I do believe it would be helpful to that student to tell their parent/guardian, and administrator, or their teacher, I may ask their permission to do so.