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COUNSELING SERVICES

I meet with students in various settings and I am quite visible throughout the building. Meeting with the counselor or participation in a counselor-led group does not mean that a student has a problem.

All students can benefit from the opportunity to learn and rehearse new skills in a safe, positive setting -  whether it be individual, small group, or classroom.  I like to think of myself as a school coach.  I have been a counselor two decades, so there is little about this age- group of students that can, or will, surprise me.  I expect that most students will need or want my coaching at some point in their elementary school career. 

 

Most days, I can be seen in classrooms, the hallways, the cafeteria or on the playground, eating lunch with groups of students or with an entire class.  I find that making personal connections with students makes them more apt to seek out my guidance, and more open to learning new skills.​​

Small Group Counseling

Referrals to small group counseling may be made by the child, parent or teacher.  The Counselor frequently meets with small groups of students who may have similar concerns or needs, such as:

  • friendship

  • self-esteem

  • study skills

  • peer interactions/social skills

Most of my small groups take place during lunch; students do not miss instructional time to meet with me.

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Individual Counseling

Referrals to the Counselor may be made by the child, parent or teacher. Individual counseling is not therapy; individual counseling involves short-term interventions, and is not to be considered therapeutic counseling. Topics that might be discussed include:

  • peer interactions (difficulty making, keeping or getting along with peers/friends)

  • decision making (making poor or impulsive choices, how to consider options and make good decisions)

  • family changes (transitions and loss through death, divorce and separation, stepfamily (blended family), new home, new school, illness)

  • classroom and school related problems (shy, aggressive or attention-seeking behavior, motivational issues, daydreaming, test anxiety, poor organization/study habits/homework issues)

 

Classroom Guidance

Four to six times a year, the Counselor will visit each classroom to conduct mini-lessons for all students. Some of the topics are:

  • empathy, impulse control, anger management, personal safety

  • bullying/peer relations

  • family and friends, chores, responsibility

  • study/test-taking skills, stress management

  • learning and thinking styles

  • career awareness

  • refusal skills

  • problem solving and decision making

  • communication styles

  • transition

 

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