School Counselor

• Helps ALL children
   
• Teaches classroom guidance lessons dealing with understanding self and others, communication skills, decision-making skills, conflict resolution skills, and career exploration
   
• Works with children individually and in small groups
   
• Consults with parents and teachers
   
• Assists with crisis intervention

• The student may ask to go to the counselor's office or fill out a form outside the counselor's office
• The teacher or principal can send him or her to the Counselor
• Mom, Dad or another care provider can request counseling services

• feelings about him/herself
   
• difficulty in making or getting along with friends
   
• a family problem
   
• a school problem
   
• a fear or worry
   
• a physical concern
   
• the need for a little extra attention

• talk about things that are important to children
   
• use puppets or dolls to help express feelings and problems
   
• talk about feelings
   
• work on a plan to reach a goal
   
• read stories that help students learn and understand more about themselves
   
• go to a safe place to calm down when feeling upset
   
• play games to learn ways to relate to others

The School Counselor visits every classroom at least once a month to teach lessons

that are developmentally appropriate to every grade level. Through this consistent

contact with all the students, School Counselors get to know all children and

the students feel very comfortable if the need arises for them to work with the

counselor either in a small group or individually. Classroom guidance lessons topics

may include:
 

Confidentiality is a set of rules or a promise that information will

not be shared about student counseling sessions.

Confidentiality is maintained unless:

• there is suspected abuse or neglect.
   
• a child poses a danger to self or others.
   
• the child and/or parent/guardian gives permission to share information.