Welcome to Mental Health at Heritage!

What is Mental Health Therapy for Kids?

We all experience difficulty in our life to varying degrees, like a parental separation/divorce, a traumatic event or life experience, being raised by someone other than a parent, difficult relationships within the family, or any other obstacle.

When we do not have the coping skills to manage our thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and behaviors that result from these obstacles, we encounter more distress. This is when children begin to present with symptoms like disruptive behaviors, worries/anxiety, social isolation, self-harming, attention-seeking behaviors and so on. When an adult notices this, it is a good time to seek therapy.

Mental health therapy can help with all of these concerns to overcome the challenges and help the child return to their baseline functioning. If the issues are not addressed by caregivers and/or professionals, they ussually get worse as the child get's older. This is where mental health services can help!

What therapy is available at Heritage?

At Heritage, we have one School Counselor and one Mental Health Counselor. If you are concerned about your child, you may reach out to either one of us to help you find the right supports for your child. However, it is helpful to know the differences in our roles at the school.

The School Counselor provides Social Emotional Learning lessons in classrooms and checks in with many students who encourage challenges in the classroom. Short-term support is provided to individuals, relationships, and groups in the school as needed.

The Mental Health Counselor is recommended to parents/guardians of children when a concern becomes more significant and there is impaired functioning in two or more areas for a child. An assessment is completed, treatment goals established, and therapy provided to meet treatment goals.

Mental Health at Heritage is reserved for treating the most significant concerns in the school and for families who do not have the resources to seek outside services. Common treatment needs include early childhood trauma, history of abuse/neglect, foster care/adoption/relative placements, anxiety, depression, OCD, suicide ideation, psychosis, etc. as they are ongoing problems in a child's life and several months of treatment are needed.

Meet our Mental Health Counselor

Lindsey is a Licensed Independent Social Worker of Clinical Practice providing mental health therapy for children who attend Heritage. This is my 4th school year at Heritage and I am a proud Heritage parent & TR Resident.

My areas of expertise include grief/bereavement, complex trauma, attachment (parent-child bond and early childhood wounds), and foster care/adoption or kinship placements. Prior to becoming a therapist, I spent about a decade working in the foster care system supporting children and families who were separated.

I have specialized training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), and PCIT (Parent-Child Interaction Therapy).

Lindsey Hesketh, LISW-CP

What is it like to work with me?

When children step foot into my office, it is my goal to help them feel safe and comfortable. I usually begin by introducing them to the room and showing them some of the different games, activities, and crafts that are in my office, then ask them what they want to play. As we play together, children feel comfortable and safe and we are able to begin building a relationship, which is the foundation for our clinical work together.

In my office, we play a lot of games, do fun activities, and arts and crafts. I also have access to the entire school grounds so sometimes, I take children outside to walk, run, play on the playground or in the gym, etc. Movement and sunshine are often very beneficial to my work with children, especially when children are sitting and inside during much of school day.

I place a strong emphasis on parent/guardian involvement, as this is key to create lasting change in a child's life. I will be flexible to adapt to your needs but do expect you to to meet with me periodically and be involved in the process.

Lindsey Hesketh, LISW-CP

Heritage Elementary Mental Health Counselor

Email: Lhesketh@greenville.k12.sc.us Phone: 864-355-6029

I am available during school hours only. The best way to reach me is email, since I have clients in my office most of the school day. I will return phone calls and emails within 24-48 hours when I am in the office.

I maintain a small caseload of clients and generally stay full. If you have a concern about your child, let's discuss the best option to support your child's needs, which may include referrals to providers outside of school.

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