Guidance Counseling

Freshmen and sophomores have one session with a guidance counselor each year. Sessions are designed to help students:

• Better understand themselves
• Evaluate how they relate to others
• Reflect on their relationship with God

* Requests for a student appointment with a counselor can be made by students, parents, teachers, administrators, or other counselors.

* Parents may also request sessions with counselors in parenting skills.

PERSONAL COUNSELING
Guidance counselors are trained to help students challenged by issues such as

• Self-concept
• Relationship issues
• Decision-making
• Emotional health (i.e. depression, anxiety)
• Intense feelings (i.e. anger, grief, fear, frustration)
• Learning difficulties (i.e. attention deficit)
• Preventive counseling

Students may request appointments or referrals may be made by parents or staff.

SUPPORT GROUPS
Confidential support groups are available in such areas as

• Grief and Loss
• Social skills
• Self-concept
• Relationship difficulties
• Families dealing with divorce
• Families dealing with illness
• Stress

Students who would like to be a member of a support group should contact one of the Guidance Office counselors.

Transitioning from a public school at the start of ninth grade or attending Saint Thomas Aquinas for the first time as a sophomore, junior or senior can be stressful. In early August, the Counseling Office and the Admissions office sponsor a half-day orientation for new students to become acquainted with a few Saint Thomas Aquinas students. This session is designed to be fun while familiarizing new students with the building, Aquinas traditions and activities, and allowing them to ask any questions they may have. They also get to meet the other students who are transferring.

In addition, the Counseling Office counselors meet one-on-one with these new students to see how they are progressing with friendships and involvement in Aquinas community. If a new student arrives after school begins, the Counseling Office matches them with a current student who walks them to their classes and introduces them to classmates.

Peer Helpers

These students were nominated by their classmates to be specially trained to help their peers deal with difficulties. Peer Helpers meet one-on-one with students to help them explore options for overcoming challenges. These sessions are confidential. Students can request to see a Peer Helper through Student Formation.

Peer Mediators

These students are a select group of Peer Helpers who have received additional training in mediation. They meet with two students who are having a conflict and try to help these students come up with an agreement that both can live with to remedy the situation. Students can sign up for these sessions in Student Formation. These sessions are also confidential.Both peer helpers and peer mediators will refer any student or situation that they believe needs more professional assistance to a school counselor.

Peer Mentors

These students are juniors or seniors who were selected to mentor small groups of freshmen. They meet with them at Freshman Orientation and then continue to meet with them on a regular basis.

The Counseling Office counselors make classroom visits to educate the students on the following:

• Abusive dating relationships
• Rape and personal protection
• Bullying
• Career Exploration
• Suicide Prevention

We also promote various awareness weeks for school-wide attention to bullying, dating abuse, body image, and suicide prevention.