how can counseling help my child?

How does a child receive school counseling?

If you feel that your child needs extra social/emotional/academic support in school and you feel there may be external or internal factors that are impeding your child's ability to focus on the tasks at hand/learn, then counseling may be beneficial for your child. You may contact your child's teacher, or Ms. Rocelyn directly. The custodial parent will be provided with a permission form to be signed and returned. Ms. Rocelyn will then set up an intake appointment and determine if they need to meet regularly for counseling. Meetings may happen before, during or after school depending on your child's schedule and/or the counselor's availability. Please note that all school-based counselors are bound ethically to keep confidential all information revealed in the course of a counseling session, except when the counselor determines the student is in danger of harm to him or herself or to a specified other, at which point the school counselor will notify the student's parent/guardian and appropriate school personnel, as necessary.

Counseling is meant to help students be ready and able to focus, learn, be safe and have fun in school. If their needs go beyond the scope of what school counseling can offer, please consider looking at agencies outside of the school (see list of resources under "Therapy Referrals").

how long are students in counseling?

Counseling typically lasts anywhere from 6-8 weeks, depending on if the child is being seen individually or in a group. Individual sessions last up to 30 minutes each, and group sessions can go for up to 40 minutes.

how do i know if my child needs counseling?

There are a variety of ways that a child may engage in counseling services. If your child expresses to their caregiver or another trusted adult that they feel stressed, upset, or if something has occurred in the child's life that they may need extra support with, the child can be referred to counseling by the parent. There are also students who are referred to counseling by their teacher because something is getting in the way of being able to fully focus and engage in the classroom. At other times, students may be brought into counseling as part of a group. Groups are highly effective in counseling as they allow students to share experiences and learn from each other. Any type of counseling will only occur if given written permission by the parent/guardian for the child to receive individual and/or group counseling.

Any other questions?

Feel free to contact Ms. Rocelyn directly for any other questions/concerns you may have. Her contact information is on the Home Page.