I provide individual counseling for all students at Chamberlayne on an as-needed basis. Sometimes this is done at the child’s request, or at the request of a parent, teacher, or administrator. Usually this type of counseling is brief, typically lasts 1-2 meetings to address a specific issue, and does not require parent permission. However, in some cases, a student may need to meet with me for a longer period of time because they are having difficulty working through a situation. In that case, I would meet with this student for structured, scheduled, individual counseling after sending home a parent permission slip. I meet with students for a variety of issues, such as grief and loss, divorce, academics, behavior, anger, feeling sad, self-esteem, making friends, etc.; most of which are normal developmental issues. Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss concerns you might have about your child.

The facts about structured individual counseling:

—Individual counseling sessions last no longer than 4-6 weeks. If long-term or more intensive one-to-one counseling is needed, I will be happy to provide resources/referrals for families to pursue outside of school time. Henrico Mental Health is a great place to start!

—Written permission from the child’s parent/guardian is required for structured (repeated, scheduled) individual counseling.

—Confidentiality is honored in counseling sessions. Exceptions as a mandated reporter are that if the student is at risk of harming others, harming him/herself, or abuse is suspected, I will break confidentiality and make the parent/guardian aware and/or contact a third party.