The mission of the Oakland School Counseling Program is to provide a comprehensive school counseling developmental program to promote lifelong learning and enhance student success. School counselors are advocates for students, allies with teachers, and liaisons with parents; the purpose of the school counseling program is to provide all students with the skills that optimize their academic, career, and personal/social development needed to become responsible citizens in a global society. In doing so, the Oakland School Counseling Program recognizes the uniqueness and personal worth of each student, strives to provide equity of access to a supportive safe learning environment for every student. We value the importance of programming that promotes education, prevention, and intervention with a focus on student success outcomes.
"I am convinced that attitude is the key to success or failure in almost any of life's endeavors. Your attitude, your perspective, your outlook, how you feel about yourself, how you feel about other people, determines your priorities, your actions, and your values. Your attitude determines how you interact with other people and how you interact with yourself."
Individual Counseling Services.
As the school counselor, I offer school-based counseling, intervention, and prevention services to all students. The first step is to build a positive and collaborative rapport with the student. Students can seek one on one help in order to help the student deal with emotional, social and personal, and academic issues . My purpose is to assist the students in making positive social, emotional, and academic adjustments and to provide students with information about themselves in order to help them make realistic plans. In each counseling session, you are always working for an end goal. For example building positive relationships, getting involved in extracurricular activities, getting better grades, and/or making better choices.
Lunch Bunch is open to all students at Heights School. Lunch Bunch is a fun way for your child to make new friends, learn more about themselves and their classmates, learn about making good choices, reinforce positive social skills and learn how to be a good friend. Most lunch bunch groups range from 4-5 students. Students eat their lunch in my office where we play games, talk and do fun activities. If you would like your child to participate in a lunch bunch or would like more information, please contact me!
Group Counseling Services
As the school counselor, I am committed to helping all of our students develop the social, emotional, and academic skills needed for them to become healthy, competent, and confident learners. Small groups help students navigate their words so that their primary school experience is the best it can be. Small counseling groups provide not only the opportunity for additional learning experiences but also a time for growing together with fellow students. Small groups give students a feeling of belonging, a chance to express themselves, and the benefit of support from their fellow group members. Please feel free to reach out to me if you think that your child(ren) would benefit from one of the groups I run below.
Making Friends/Social Skills - This group is for students who can offer social guidance or are in need of social guidance when it comes to managing friendships. Students can benefit from having some of the basic social skills reinforced and practiced.
Changing Families/Banana Splits: This group is for students whose families are changing; whether through divorce, or remarriage, adoption, or birth of siblings, etc. The group will help students express and process their feelings about their changing family, understand that other student may share similar feelings and experiences, and feel supported through social activities and discussions.
Smooth Transitions: This group will help students express their concerns and worries about entering a new environment. The group will discuss peer relationships, peer pressure, changes, time management, and many other topics that can be related to entering middle school.
Uniquely Me!: This group will give students the opportunity to feel empowered, gain, confidence, and self-awareness, develop coping strategies, improve problem-solving skills, and learn to make healthy decisions through engaging activities.
Cool Chicks and Angry Birds: This impulse control group will help students better understand their feelings so that they make healthy and successful choices. Students will learn appropriate ways to express anger and develop practical skills and strategies to manage their feelings.
Worry Warriors: This group is designed for children who experience feelings of social or academic anxiety. Students will be lead through activities to take control of their worries and practice positive coping skills.
Girl Power: The goal of the group would be to promote the value of inclusiveness, empowerment, respect, and mindfulness to transform the girl community! As students learn to unlock the power of Girl CODE, they will practice showing compassion, reframing pessimistic or negative views to build an attitude of optimism, learn how to communicate their feelings in a positive way, embrace diversity, and explore actions that empower girls!
Life Skills Group: An opportunity for students to learn about and discuss challenges within their school/home life.
Educational Group: For those interested in learning more about anxiety, depression, or alcohol and other drugs, addiction and recovery.
Healing Hearts: This group will help students cope with grief and mourning following the death of loved ones, or with major life changes that trigger feelings of grief.
Confidentiality
As I work with you and your child, please be assured that I am bound by the Code of Ethics of the American School Counselor Association. Parent and child’s confidentiality is protected to the extent allowed by law and school policy. Helping children meet their fullest potential is a combined effort of school and home. Counselors respect the privacy of information, always considering actions in terms of rights, integrity, and the welfare of students. Counselors are obligated by ethical standards to report or to refer a case when a person's welfare is in jeopardy. It is a counselor's duty to inform an individual under these conditions: harm to self, harm to others, or harm by others.