What will my child do in counseling?

            The purpose of school counseling is to help children do the best they can in school.  The counselor will take some time to get to know your child and to build a trusting relationship and guide the child to set goals for growth.  The child will then continue to meet one-on-one with the counselor or join a group of students with similar concerns. The counselor works with the classroom teacher to avoid disrupting your child’s learning.  Please feel free to check with your counselor on the status of your child’s counseling.

Individual:  Your child will meet with the counselor for 30 to 45 minutes each week or alternating weeks.  The duration of counseling depends on the child.  Some children are seen one or two times, some for 6 to 10 times, and some continue counseling throughout the year.

Groups:  Groups are formed around similar needs or interests. Groups usually meet once each week, for 8 weeks, for about 45 minutes.   Typical groups include:

   Divorce          Grief              Social skills / Friendship Skills      Anger Management       

Methods of Counseling:

  Bibliotherapy – using books that relate to a child’s concerns and needs

  Games – The Social Skills Game, The Anger Management Game, etc.

     Sand play – building the child’s world with miniatures in a sand tray (gives the child insight into his/her world and an opportunity to work through issues the child may find threatening or hard to put into words).

  Play - like sand play, a child enters the natural world of play and, with the help of the counselor, works through issues in a non-threatening way.

  Puppets – acting out scenes, practicing new social skills, interacting with other students in a non-threatening way.

  Art – using various mediums of art to express feelings and move toward healing.

  Observations – the counselor may observe your child in the classroom or on the playground, working with the teacher to check on your child’s progress in class

Listening, Redirecting, Teaching new coping skills

Caring and Supporting.

Counselor Training:  I have a Masters of Education in School Counseling and am a Licensed Professional Counselor with Idaho school certification

Parental Permission:  The counselor may see your child one or two times by the child’s request, but after that, parental permission is required for your child to continue receiving school counseling services. Services are confidential, which means the counselor will not share the details of sessions with anyone.  The only exception to this confidentiality is if the child discloses that he/she is being harmed or intends to harm self or others.

            Counseling is intended to be, and usually is, a very positive support for the children in this school.  Although it is the counselor’s best intention to keep parents informed as to their child’s progress, time and schedule often get in the way.  For this reason, I encourage you to call or stop in and see your school counselor and become involved in your child’s progress. 

Sincerely,

 Linda Widmer

M.Ed., LPC, Certified School Counselor