K-12 Counseling

The counseling department is a diverse team of mental health professionals who provide short-term, solution-focused support (in an individual or group setting) as well as classroom lessons on health and social/emotional development.

Counselors are available to help students address issues surrounding their personal and social well-being, emotional needs and school-life balance. Counselors offer a safe and confidential space for discussion and problem-solving and are available for students from their first day of school to their transition to a new environment or life after graduation. In addition to supporting students, counselors may provide parent/guardian workshops on a variety of topics, including positive family dynamics and healthy adjustments for major life changes.

Students may refer themselves to a counselor or they may be referred by SSST, a teacher, a parent/guardian or a concerned friend. Counselors can also assist with referrals for external, private individual, or family therapy. Often, counselors serve as resources for employees on a variety of mental health topics.

There are two counselors in each division. All counselors are members of the ASL safeguarding team and are trained in school crisis prevention and intervention.

Couseling FAQs

What is counseling in the context of school?

Counseling at ASL is short-term in nature. This means the counselor may meet with a child once or twice to discuss a specific topic or up to eight sessions when a student’s needs are more broad. Meetings may take place during a specific portion of the school year or more sporadically, depending on the needs of the student. Small group sessions may also be utilized.

Counseling at ASL is not considered therapy. Although counselors are mental health professionals, their role is to support students in their own problem-solving and use solution-focused techniques to facilitate a student’s personal inquiry. Therapy is generally more long-term and open-ended.

If parents/guardians or students have questions about therapy, or if the counselors believe that therapy would best help a child at ASL, they will reach out to parents/guardians. Counselors can assist in connecting families to a mental health professional outside of school.

What does counseling look like in each division?

In the Lower School, there are two school counselors who loop with their assigned student every year. For example, if your child joins ASL in Grade 1, their assigned counselor will stay with your child through their time in the Lower School. Lower school counselors follow a curriculum in which they present a series of lessons throughout the year focused on social/emotional and personal development. Counselors may also work with small groups of four to five students on specific topics, such as friendship skills or school readiness. These groups often occur at lunch and last between six and eight sessions. Finally, counselors may meet with students individually based on an identified need through consultation with the classroom teacher and parents/guardians. Individual counseling can range from one to a maximum of eight sessions.

For Middle School, there are two counselors supporting the Grades 5/6 and Grades 7/8 cohorts, respectively. Counselors meet with students both individually and in groups on an as-needed basis, and they offer support for the social, emotional and academic needs that adolescents can experience at this important developmental stage of their lives. Middle school counselors also teach health classes, so they’re directly involved in educating students about physical and mental health issues, which helps build connections and increases student access to counseling support. Counselors work in partnership with parents/guardians, teachers and advisors, in support of students, and can refer families to and support dialogue with external therapists. Individual and group counseling can range from one to a maximum of eight sessions

In the High School, there are two school counselors who work with students based on the student’s last name. Counselors meet with students both individually and in groups on an as-needed basis, determined by individual students seeking support or in consultation with classroom teachers, deans, advisors and parents/guardians. Counseling in the High School is short-term and may focus on topics related to stress, friendships and academics. Counselors may recommend referrals for longer-term therapy as needed. They meet with students during conference times, lunch, after school and, if students are available, during their free periods.

What do we mean when we say that counseling is confidential?

Trust is an essential element in an effective counseling relationship, and students are more open to exploring their thoughts and feelings when they feel safe and comfortable with the adult they are talking to. In order to create an environment of trust, school counselors agree to keep conversations confidential unless the following is occurring: someone is hurting the student; the student is hurting someone else; the student is hurting themselves; or the student gives permission to share with another trusted adult. We ask parents/guardians to respect this philosophy for the sake of the counseling relationship.

How do ASL counselors collaborate with different teams across the School?

In the Lower School, both counselors work directly with all classroom and specialist teachers. Counselors may serve as consultants, providing ideas and strategies to teachers in support of students and their behavioral, social and/or emotional needs. In addition, the counselor may work directly with a student, in conjunction with teachers and parents/guardians. Counselors serve as the primary consultant for K1 classes. If there are any questions or wonders regarding the specific learning needs of a student, the counselor connects the family with the rest of the SSST.

In the Middle School, both counselors work in partnership with parents/guardians, advisors, administrators and teachers in support of students, and they can refer families to and support dialogue with external therapists. Counselors also contribute to each grade-level team’s student discussion meetings that occur each 8-day cycle, as well as supporting student study team meetings that bring together a broad team, including teachers, administrators and learning support, around a student with specific individual needs. Counselors can act as advocates for students supporting liaisons with other members of the school community as needed.

For the High School, both counselors collaborate with teachers, grade-level deans, advisors, administrators and the director of student life to support the student socially and emotionally. Counselors are equipped to connect students to outside counseling resources if the need arises. The counselor liaises with SSST to identify students with learning challenges and explores the cultivation of executive functioning skills.

All members of the counseling team serve on the ASL safeguarding team. Additionally, all counselors work directly with the administration when school-wide issues or community crises occur.

What does counseling and teaching look like in each division?

In the Lower School, counselors visit each classroom between 12 and 14 times a year. Counselors have developed a custom curriculum based on the UK personal, social, health and education standards and the International School Counselor Association standards. Topics for each grade level build upon those from the previous grade level and include emotional intelligence, developing a growth mindset and resilience, managing friendships and conflict, empathy and kindness, and personal health and safety. A scope and sequence of the lessons for your child’s grade level are sent out at the beginning of each school year.

In the Middle School, counselors support students in one-to-one or small-group settings outside of the classroom. Sessions are scheduled at a convenient time during the school day with the consent of the student and their teachers. As well as supporting specific needs, counselors regularly meet with students on a check-in basis to gauge and support individual and group well-being, even when there hasn’t been concern raised. Counselors will check in with new students during the first semester to support building relationships and any transition challenges that may arise. Middle school counselors also teach health classes, so they’re directly involved in educating students about physical and mental health issues, which helps build connections and increases student access to counseling support.

In the High School, counselors primarily utilize one-to-one or small-group student support sessions outside of the classroom. Counselors will occasionally collaborate with Grade 9 and Grade 10 health teachers to co-teach topics related to student well-being.