Counseling/Mental Health
The elementary and middle school years set the tone for developing the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for children and adolescents to become healthy, competent, and confident learners. Through a comprehensive and developmental school counseling program, counselors work as a team with students, their families, and Aspen View Academy staff to address the academic, career and personal/social development of all students.
School Counselors are specially trained educators with a master's degree in counseling. Support provided can be therapeutic, but the role of a school counselor is not to diagnose or provide therapy. Counselors are able to provide temporary/short-term support to help students overcome acute issues having an impact on their school performance. Counselors are a resource similar to the school nurse in that she can provide screening and band aids but refers out for more serious problems. Licensed mental health counselors are the appropriate resource to provide ongoing therapy sometimes needed by families and children.
School Counseling Services
Our primary task as school counselors is to help all Aspen View Academy students become better learners by providing a comprehensive counseling program that meets their academic, personal/social, and career development needs. This is accomplished by providing individual counseling, small group counseling, classroom guidance curriculum, responsive services, and system support. To be more specific, we can help students with:
- Academic support (identifying barriers to success and creating interventions)
- Anger management
- Anxiety/stress
- Behavior problems at school
- Bullying
- Career awareness, exploration and planning
- Communication, problem-solving and conflict resolution
- Divorce/family separation
- Goal setting and decision-making
- Grief and loss
- New student orientation
- Organization and study skills
- Peer relationships and effective social skills
Please check out the website YourLifeYourVoice.org. The site offers advice, tips, and tools on a wide range of different topics. There is also a counseling link that students can call 24 hours a day if help is needed.