Counselor FAQs

• What do I do if I want to see a counselor?

If you need to speak with a counselor, click on the Request for Assistance Link. Fill out the form, and a counselor will contact you as soon as possible. If it is an emergency, go by the Counselor's Corner (located in C wing) OR call our office.

• What do I do if I want to set up a parent conference?

If you need to set up a parent conference, contact your child's teacher directly. Times do vary by grade level and availability of teachers.

• When is it appropriate to contact my child’s school counselor?

Contact your child’s school counselor with questions or concerns regarding issues that may be affecting your child’s academic progress. Such issues could include family changes, social difficulties, or mental health problems.

• How is a school counselor different from a therapist?

School counselors help students to be ready for learning by providing short-term assistance with particular issues that may be acting as road blocks to the child’s education. Therapists treat mental health disorders in an on-going, regularly scheduled basis. If a child is upset or distressed in school, we will work with the child in order to help the child be ready to learn. For issues that go beyond the scope of school counseling, we can provide community resources to the parent.

• Do school counselors make mental health diagnoses?

School counselors do not make mental health diagnoses. We do, however, use direct observation, input from parents, teachers and other staff, and information from the student to create a portrait of the student in the school environment. This information is used by the counselor in conjunction with the teachers to determine strategies to help the student to be more successful in the school setting.