School Counseling

At Bethesda, the counselor wears many hats. This job is to serve and advocate for students! Part of the job is to cover the Williamson County School Counselor Standards. Your child may see the counselor in the office periodically throughout the year. The counselor’s lessons address the WCS Counseling curriculum including: test-taking skills, friendship, bullying prevention, self-esteem, drug education, and safety.

Beyond teaching, the counselor is the testing coordinator which coordinates and oversees the TCAP writing and achievement tests for Bethesda. Additionally, the counselor will cooperatively work with teachers and administrators, he/ she helps to develop behavior plans for students and assists in crisis management.

The counselor has individual counseling and group counseling sessions throughout the year with students. Students can refer themselves or parents/teachers can refer them to him/her. Generally, a student who is involved in individual counseling will have 3+ sessions (once a week) that focus on issues like anger, friendship skills, or grief. More time can be added if needed. Students may also be invited (or parents can request) to join a small group with the counselor. Meeting weekly, these sessions are focused on similar issues as individual counseling, but usually consist of 5-6 students working together on that topic. If you would like more information about counseling please contact the counselor once that position is filled.

The counselor would love to help your child in the school environment. Unfortunately, there are times that a child’s needs are beyond the scope of a school counselor and may require further assistance. The counselor recommends you talk with your child’s pediatrician about your concerns and ask him/her for a referral.

If you have concerns about your child, the first place to start is with the child’s teacher(s). They know your child and can often offer ideas to help. If you decide that you need more assistance, please contact the counselor.