Hi SPES families!

My name is Ms. Jessica Dennison, and I am so excited to join the SPES community as your school counselor! As a Severna Park native, it is especially meaningful to have the opportunity to return to the community where I grew up and support the students and families in our school.

I hold a Master’s degree in School Counseling, am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). I have spent the past six years working as an elementary school counselor in Anne Arundel County Public Schools, where I have supported hundreds of students through individual and small-group counseling, classroom instruction, crisis response, and social-emotional programming. In addition to my work in schools, I have clinical experience supporting children, adolescents, and young adults, giving me a well-rounded perspective on the academic, social-emotional, and developmental needs of students.

As your school counselor, my goal is to help students feel safe, supported, connected, and ready to learn. I work with students individually and in small groups, teach classroom lessons focused on social-emotional learning, help students develop skills for managing emotions and solving conflicts, support students through challenging situations, and collaborate with teachers and families when additional support is needed.

I believe that school counseling is about much more than responding when a student is struggling. A big part of my role is prevention and building skills before students need them  - helping children understand their emotions, build healthy friendships, develop coping strategies, problem-solve, and become confident advocates for themselves. I provide short-term, school-based support focused on students’ social-emotional development, coping skills, friendships, conflict resolution, self-regulation, and problem-solving. This includes individual and small-group counseling, classroom lessons, crisis support, and collaboration with teachers and families. School counseling is not long-term or ongoing therapy. I do not provide weekly therapy for an extended period of time or replace outside mental health services. When a student needs more intensive or long-term support, I work with families and staff to help connect them with appropriate community-based resources.

I am looking forward to getting to know our students, families, and staff and becoming part of the SPES community. Be sure to check out the Counselor’s Corner each month for counseling updates, helpful resources, upcoming counseling lesson topics, and ideas for supporting your child’s social-emotional growth at home.

-Ms. Dennison