Hopewell Counselor

Welcome to Mrs. Dolan's Counseling Corner!  I have the joy of working with students through classroom counseling lessons, small groups, and individually.  I also collaborate with school staff, parents, and outside agencies in order to best meet the needs of students.  Please explore the website to find out more information about school counseling services at Hopewell.

School Counselor Availability

•   My hours of availability are Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm. Feel free to contact me via phone (563) 332-0250 or email dolannatasha@pleasval.org.  Please note that I do not always check my email after working hours, or on weekends/holidays. Refer to the parent portal for crisis hotline and emergency numbers.  The majority of my day is spent in classrooms, or working with students in small groups or individually. Please reach out in advance to schedule a time to discuss any concerns.  I want to be able to give your concerns my full attention.

Classroom Counseling Lessons

• I visit each classroom (K-6) at least once a month and have the chance to interact with every student during these lessons.  Lessons are typically 30 minutes, and cover topics such as self-awareness, self-management, conflict resolution, empathy, friendship making skills, decision making, and personal/community safety.

   Small Group Counseling

• A variety of small groups, based on student need and teacher referral, are offered throughout the school year.  Groups can have anywhere from 2-6 members and will meet for 20-30 minutes/once a week at a scheduled time to minimize academic interruption.   A permission slip will be sent home before these groups start.

• "Lunch bunch" groups are offered throughout the school year to as many students as possible in grades 2nd-6th.  I also have specific lunch groups based on teacher or parent referral to work on friendship or self-esteem. These groups can be a great fit for students new to Hopewell.  Students meet in my office to eat/socialize/play games all while practicing valuable social skills. They do not miss recess time. Lunch bunch groups are always optional. 

• Counselor Book Clubs are offered in various grades (4th-6th) throughout the school year during lunch. These are always optional, and an opportunity for students to listen to a read aloud and discuss together while building stronger relationships with their peers.

   Individual Counseling: This can occur in several different formats.

• "Pep Talks"- These occur as needed to address a temporary need of your student (a grandparent passes away, a pet dies,  family member is sick, friend is being mean, etc.). My goal is to create a safe place to work through problems.

• Individual Student Planning-Sometimes a student can benefit from short term, brief/solution focused school based counseling services in order to work through various difficulties. Topics could include anger, emotion management, anxiety, low self-esteem, parent separation etc.  Anything that is getting in the way of a student's access to optimal education is a good topic to discuss and work through with the school counselor.

• Immediate Student Support- Sometimes our students have rough days, and sometimes a break in a different environment can turn a day around. This occurs as needed/as I am available.

Agency Referrals

Ethically, a referral to community or school based  therapy may be warranted when:

• the student’s presenting problems require me to go beyond the professional guideline of 4-6 visits

• needs exceed the scope of school counselor expertise

• issues require a long-term therapy approach

• school interventions are not working or helping

•  family needs to be part of the therapy process

• the student is overly emotional and has a difficult time regrouping to return to class after visiting with the counselor

• diagnostic evaluations or medication may be necessary

• very specialized group or individual therapy is needed

• In the event that the needs of the student require a therapeutic approach/ long term services,  I can assist with referrals to outside agencies  or school based therapy (if there are available spots). The pediatrician is another great place to start for finding therapeutic services!

The role of a school counselor-American School Counselor Association 

National recommended school counselor to student ratio: 250:1