The focus of my Counseling interventions are as follows...

Classroom: Throughout the year the subject areas that I will teach to the students involve:

• Counselor Introduction (Who I am, student rights & how I can help)

• Coping Skills (Focus on healthy coping strategies to practice daily in order to positively impact our thoughts, feelings & behaviors.)

• Conflict Resolution (How to use coping strategies & problem solving skills with others)

• Empathy (Activities focused on putting ourselves in other people's shoes.)

• Personal Safety (Explore safety strategies & how trusted adults can help)

• Mindfulness (More in depth focus on coping skills & how calm breathing can positively impact the brain for health, happiness & learning.)

• Kindness (Explore ideas on how to spread kindness around the school & at home. Will also take part in the Great Kindness Challenge.)

• Respect (A combination of conflict resolution & empathy strategies rolled into one.)

• Careers (Have conversations exploring skills, interests & career ideas. Hold a 'Career Fair' in May with volunteers wanting to interactively share information about their careers. Email me if interested.)

• Review/Transition (Recap of lessons, plan for summer & goals for next year)

• And more (I will also integrate other lessons as needs arise throughout the year to address any skills that many students may need help with)

Groups: Groups can cover a variety of needs. They typically involve 2-5 students & can last for up to 10 weeks. Counseling groups include

• Social Skills

• Healthy Friendships

• Coping Skills

• Kindness

• Self-Esteem

Individual Check ins:

• Check-ins with the counselor typically range between 10-15 minutes unless a concern is more serious.

• Many times a student may need just one or two check ins.

• My one on one counseling check in style tends to be brief, person centered & solutions focused.

• For students that need ongoing support, we will build a plan & discuss healthy strategies to work towards a manageable solution. This level of support can last for a maximum of 10 check ins.

• If a student needs more than 10 brief check ins throughout the year, then it is strongly recommended that the trusted adults at home find a licensed professional counselor who can do longer, more frequent & in depth counseling sessions. We can also work out a release of information where specified support staff at school can communicate with your child's therapist & build an even more supportive plan for them at school. A list of community resources are available for viewing under the 'Resources' tab at the top of the page. If you need any help navigating that process, please feel free to reach out & I will assist you.

• Students are welcome to talk to their school counselor about anything that's on their mind. This can range from personal concerns to things going on at school, home or with friends. I encourage them to make sure they have a list of 'trusted adults' that they know they can go to for any variety of more serious situations. It is important to remember that the work I do as a school counselor does not supplement the individual therapy you can receive from a Licensed Professional Counselor within your community.