Counseling Services

The educational mission of SHS emphasizes development of the whole child. At times, this goal is served by providing counseling and/or referral services to students in need of extra support.

Across all grades at Sacred Heart, our counseling services are designed to enhance a student’s personal growth in the areas of problem solving, communication skills, self-awareness, decision making, emotional regulation, and general coping skills.

Sacred Heart is also a member of the parent education consortia, Common Ground Speaker Series, which offers top-flight lectures and panel discussions covering health, parenting, and education topics along the San Francisco Peninsula. The Common Ground series seeks to empower parents and provide critical perspective to inspire and support strong families and engaged school communities.

K-8 Counseling FAQ

List of 5 frequently asked questions.

What is the scope of the K-8 counseling program?
Our program scope addresses three primary areas:
- First, school counselors collaborate with faculty and administration to design and deliver rich programming and a robust social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum to benefit all students.
- Second, counselors serve the broader school community by providing ongoing parent education and training to school faculty and staff.
- And third, counselors meet individually and with small groups of students to provide intervention, extra support and to promote the development of important skills and competencies.
How is a student referred to counseling?

Often parents contact the counselor directly and request counseling for their child. After an initial consultation with the parent, the counselor and parent will decide if counseling is appropriate for the child, or if outside service would be more beneficial. Other times a teacher may suggest to a parent that their child could benefit from counseling. If the counselor and parent agree with the teacher’s assessment, counseling will begin. Sometimes, older students seek out the counselor on their own. If a student needs ongoing support and is under 12 years of age, the counselor will require written permission from the parents.
What happens in a counseling session?

Individual students will meet with the counselor during the school day or right after school in her private office. The counselor will listen to the student’s concerns and help him or her define the problem and search for solutions. Often times, the student may have to work on some needed skills like conflict resolution, empathy or communications skills to solve their problems.

During counseling, therapeutic games, art activities, and books are often used to teach a student about emotions and communication skills. The younger the child, the more activities are included in counseling to keep the student engaged in the process of self-discovery and growth.
What about confidentiality?

Counseling is a confidential process. There are times when a counselor is required by law to break confidentiality, as in a case where the counselor thinks that the student will harm himself or others, or if s/he is being harmed by someone, then the counselor must inform Child Protective Services.
Is counseling different for elementary versus middle school students?

Yes. Older students are more verbal and better equipped to engage in discussions about their problems, than younger students. Younger students respond best to counseling when games, art and engaging activities are a part of the counseling process.

SHP (GR 9-12) Counseling FAQs

List of 6 frequently asked questions.

What is the scope of the SHP counseling office?

All students grades 9-12 are assigned a school counselor. School counselors are trained counselors with a master degree in counseling/psychology or social work. They are a resource to support students in navigating moments of transition, stress, communication, etc. and as a resource for parents regarding adolescent development, navigating the school systems, etc.. School counselors can refer students both to the internal resources (personal counselor, nurse, etc.) and outside community resources. School counselors also help students track and navigate SHPs graduation requirements, academic progress, course selections, and step into a case management role when students are faced with extended absences or other extenuating circumstances.

The SHP personal counselor holds a degree in counseling and a license to support students who are experiencing personal difficulties which may interfere with their academic, personal, social, or family life. Our personal counselor does not have an assigned caseload and is available to meet with students as needed, providing crisis intervention, risk assessment and strengths based brief counseling services. Students working with the personal counselor typically have anywhere from 1- 12 sessions, over a period of time. Students may also be referred out for assessment or on-going counseling services with community providers. The Personal Counselor serves as a resource for both students and parents, and is not involved in disciplining students.

The counseling office is a vast resource for issues ranging from study habits and peer problems, to eating disorders and depression. High school is a time of transition and change, and successfully managing that requires guidance and the acquisition of skills. We are here to support students through the various changes and issues that confront students today, fostering coping skills and confidence.
What services are offered?
There are (4) main focuses:
1. Guidance curriculum: supporting student to develop basic life skills and maximize full educational potential
2. Responsive service: risk assessment, counseling services and advocacy on behalf of any student whose immediate personal concerns or challenges put their continued (educational, social, emotional) development at risk
3. Individual planning system to guide all students to plan, monitor, manage their own learning, emotional care, and personal development
4. Systemic support amidst collective efforts of teachers, parents/guardians, administrators, staff, and other community members in promoting educational, career, personal, and social development of students.
We provide these services primarily through 1:1 counseling, small group and collaborative meetings. Counselors also partner with classroom teachers on lessons that reinforce social-emotional learning competencies and provide professional development to faculty and staff around topics of adolescent development and mental health.
Are meetings between students and counselors kept confidential?

Counseling is a confidential process. There are times when a counselor is required by law to break confidentiality, as in a case where the counselor thinks that the student will harm himself or others, or if s/he is being harmed by someone. In such a situation, the counselor must inform Child Protective Services directly. School counselors are permitted to and do discuss academic concerns/information with teachers, parents/guardians, and other school personnel in support of student learning.
Do/can counselors make outside referrals?

Referrals can be made for specific situations that might require more focused long term counseling with local, outside professionals as necessary.
Where are the SHP counseling offices located?

The counseling offices are located in the Homer Building.
How do I contact the Personal Counselor @ SHP?

Please contact 650.473.4023 to speak with the SHP counselor.