Counseling & Social Emotional Learning

The Presidio Hill School Counseling Program is a comprehensive social and emotional support service available to students and families in our community.

The counselor is available as a trusted adult for talk-it-outs, short-term individual and small group counseling, and family support. Students may self-refer or be referred by faculty, staff, or parents. In addition to short-term counseling support, all students have access to social emotional learning and life skills lessons that are tailored to the age and developmental stage of each class. 

 

Overarching goals:

• Strengthen relationships as a foundation for life and learning
• Increase sense of purpose and belonging within and outside of the community
• Learn about self and prosocial ways of relating with others
• Develop personal powers that lead to greater resilience 
• Use personal powers for good in social contexts
• Minimize barriers to learning
• Process challenging events
• Strength and skill-based approach to challenges
• Increase protective factors to support positive outcomes 

Topics:

• Foundational values and agreements
• Mindfulness and grounding techniques
• Personal and social safety
• Identity and insight
• Moods, big feelings, and behavior
• Growth mindset
• Critical thinking for problem solving
• Healthy relationships and communication
• Self and social compassion

The Power of Partnership

We know that the presence of caring parental and non-parental adults is one of the most significant protective factors for children in combination with high yet realistic expectations. Common values and a united home/school partnership supports positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes for students. We encourage families to reach out and connect with teachers and support services as needs arise. In the meantime, you can keep conversations going at home about student life and experience by making time to meet your child in their world. Here are some ideas:

When reading a story, watching a movie, or hearing about events happening at school, consider asking questions like: 

• “What were you feeling in that moment?” (acknowledge feelings)
• “How did that character/person handle the situation?”(seek understanding)
• “What do you think the other person was thinking and feeling?”(take perspective)
• “What was the impact?” (understand impact on people within environment)
• “Would you have handled the situation differently?”(self-reflection)
• “Do you think that I [mom, dad, caregiver] have ever found myself in a similar situation? (self-disclose to normalize)
• “If you had a magic wand that could make the situation better simply by waving it, what would be different?” (imagine)