Counseling, Psychotherapy and Psychological Services

Counseling, case management, psychological and crisis services are provided to all students in the Leary School programs. These services range from individual weekly psychotherapy sessions and daily group counseling to therapy groups and case management. Comprehensive treatment plans are developed for each student.

• Group counseling. Daily group counseling sessions are designed to provide students with a form for exploring feelings and behaviors, establishing personal goals, solving problems, and giving and receiving support. These peer groups are led by trained professional staff and occur daily for most of the groups.
  
• Affective Education/Social Skills Training. Elementary level students typically do not yet have the verbal reasoning and/or social skills necessary for participation in a traditional group counseling format. Therefore, emphasis with these students is on examining feelings, attitudes and values through a more structured, expressive approach than traditional group counseling. The teacher uses a variety of materials and approaches to foster skills in self-expression, social skills and cooperation.
  
• Individual Psychotherapy. The Leary School programs are unique in offering individual psychotherapy to all of its students. In a time in this society in which quality, far-reaching treatment and in-depth psychology have been discarded in favor of short term interventions, group work and superficial treatment, the School has held firm to traditional psychotherapy and a corresponding deep respect for psychological development and individuality.
  
• Family counseling. The Leary School programs strongly believe in the family unit. When dealing with students with learning, emotional, and behavioral problems, the students' families probably have the greatest impact in helping changes occur. In some cases, the family is the single most important aspect of treatment. For this reason, all Leary School programs offer family support services for students and their families. These include: individualized family therapy, therapy support and education, parents' support group, and case management.