Parent Resources

Should I be alarmed if my child says, “I saw Lissa today"?

There is no need to worry. I spend a significant amount of time working with students in their classrooms, at recess and lunch, hallways, advisory meetings and throughout the school setting. During weekly counseling lessons I partner with teachers to make the school a great place for your child to learn. But remember, sometimes kids like to see the counselor for little things. If a student has a problem they need help solving, has a conflict with another student or wants to share a special accomplishment they might ask to see me. However, I always encourage students to go home and share with parents when and why we met. If there is an ongoing issue or major concern, I always call or e-mail parents.

Who refers students to the school counselor?

Parents often ask “Who refers a child to the school counselor?” Sometimes kids self-refer by asking their teacher, or asking their parent to call or e-mail Lissa. Sometimes parents call Lissa or teachers let them know of a concern or just that a student needs time to talk.. Sometimes teachers, school leaders, or the Nurse may ask Lissa to meet with students if there is a specific concern or they think a student may need time to process or reflect something in a more private space with the counselor.

Here are some reasons a student might talk with the school counselor:

• "I'm feeling upset and I need help understanding why and what to do."
• "My best friend isn't talking to me and it's making me really sad."
• "I want to show you what I just made in art. I'm very proud of it."
• "I'm new to this school and I'm really nervous!"
• "I did some great work and I'm so excited to tell someone!"
• "I'm having trouble in a certain topic or subject and I need to know how to ask my teacher for help."
• "Another student and I had a problem at recess. Can you help us work it out?"

Here are some reasons a parent might refer to the counselor:

• "My daughter doesn't want to go to school in the mornings."
• "I'm concerned because my son keeps telling me that he doesn't have any friends."
• "We recently had a death in the family, and I'm not sure how to tell my child."
• "We’re going through a divorce and think our kids need someone to talk to about it.”
• "My son seems to get really frustrated doing his homework and nothing seems to help."

Here are some reasons a teacher or principal might refer to the school counselor:

• "I need some ideas to help my student develop relationships with peers in our classroom."
• "My student has difficulty focusing on lessons in the classroom."
• "X" is absent a lot and is having difficulty academically and socially because of this."
• "My student is new to this school and needs some special attention."
• "I've noticed that my student seems (anxious, worried, down, not themselves) lately."
• "My student is very shy and doesn't seem comfortable asking others to play. Can she be in a Friendship Group?"