Counselor Corner

Services

I believe in maintaining a positive mindset, creating partnerships with a purpose, and always striving for significant outcomes.

Counseling

• Individual Counseling:  Elementary school counselors are available to meet individually with a student in circumstances when a student's educational success is being impacted. The school counselor spends time working with individual students to improve their social skills, discuss feelings, and to empower problem solving methods. Elementary school counselors assist ALL children. While a counselor cannot provide on-going counseling, it may be appropriate for a student to receive short-term individual counseling. When more attention and intervention is required, school counselors can act as a referral agent for parents to access counseling services within the community.

​

• Small Group Counseling: The purpose of small group counseling is to complement and enhance students' learning by improving their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. Small group counseling provides a safe setting where children, along with their peers, can increase their self-awareness and improve their cooperation and communication skills. The children can learn from each other. Ultimately the goal of small group counseling is to prevent problems in the future by teaching children new skills. Every child can benefit from participation in a small group. Students can be invited to join a group by parent request, teacher or counselor suggestion, or by the students themselves. Some examples of the types of groups offered are: Changing Families, Worry/Anxiety, Grief/Loss, G.I.R.L.S. (Girls in Real Life Situations), Social Skills and Anger Management.

Guidance Lessons / Collaboration / Consultation

• Guidance lessons: Guidance lessons are an integral part of the elementary school counseling program and important to every student’s academic success. One of the most effective ways for school counselors to help prevent academic problems is by discussing self-esteem issues such as peer relationships, stress, or dealing with feelings and emotions in large group guidance lessons in the classroom. The lessons are preventative in nature, designed to reach all students, and are taught in the classroom regularly by the counselor. The foundation of the guidance curriculum incorporates SEL (Social Emotional Learning).  SEL is highly important for helping children to understand and manage their emotions, feel and show empathy for others, establish healthy relationships, set positive goals and make responsible decisions.  

• Collaborate with Teachers and Staff:  Both teachers and counselors have similar goals: the educational success of each student. It is important that school counselors collaborate with teachers and administrators to promote student learning. If a student is having problems in a classroom, school counselors will join together with teachers to come up with some practical strategies which will remove educational barriers and enhance the learning environment of that student. 

• Consult with Parents:  Parents and school counselors speak with each other to help the child/student on a variety of issues such as new school transitions, special needs, family transitions, and crisis situations. Studies have shown that children have greater academic achievement when their parents are involved in their education. Parental involvement is critical to helping a child be a successful student. Both parents and counselors can share information with each other to help meet the needs of the student. Additionally, school counselors can help put parents in touch with community resources, if the need arises.

• Community Resources:  School counselors can provide short-term individual counseling for students, but when more intervention is required, they can coordinate referrals to community agencies. Below is a list of local mental health agencies and other social service providers. If these agencies do not meet your needs, please let me know.  I have a longer, more comprehensive list of outside service providers.