School Counseling Program

School Counseling Program

As part of a comprehensive school counseling program, the school counselor serves all students and provides classroom counseling lessons, small group work, individual work, and referrals to outside providers & community assistance. 

Classroom counseling lessons focus on developing social/emotional skills, promoting academic success, and exploring how these skills and interests translate into a desirable career. These lessons are taught to all students throughout the year.

Small group counseling is an opportunity for students to learn new skills or process similar experiences with other peers. Group counseling normalizes difficult emotions & the counseling process. Some topics covered in group counseling include grief & loss, transitioning families, friendship & social skills, self-control, & self-confidence.

Individual counseling is a short-term counseling opportunity for students to work through concerns that are impeding their success in school. 

Community assistance opportunities & referrals to outside counseling are available upon request.

Meet the Counselor

Lauren Padjen, M.Ed., NCC

My name is Lauren Padjen, the 3K-8 school counselor at Montessori Community School. This is my seventh year as a school counselor, and my twelfth year in education. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and began working at River Gate Elementary School in Charlotte as a Technology Associate. I decided to return to school and graduated from Winthrop University with my Master's of Education in Counseling and Development, School Counseling in 2018. I love to read, do yoga, spend time outdoors with my dog, Stella, and cook & eat amazing food with my husband.