Counseling Services

Counselors are available to all Elementary­•Middle School students so they can make the most of their Landmark education. Services provided include individual and group counseling, consultation with teachers and parents, psycho-educational class groups, and delivery of the Relaxation Response Program.

During psycho-educational classes, students learn about identity, expected social behaviors, conflict resolution, healthy decision-making, team-building, and healthy relationships. Students can be referred for individual or group counseling by Academic Advisors, teachers, parents, or students may self refer. Counselors also meet with students as needed for crisis intervention.

Relaxation Response Program

Our counseling department coordinates and oversees a Relaxation Response Program at EMS. Each day at EMS starts with a few moments to several minutes of the Relaxation Response, or mindfulness. This is a chance to prepare for the day, settle, and have a moment where nothing is expected of students except silence. The “relaxation response" is a means of alleviating stress, reducing anxiety, and improving focus for our students. Students may even use these techniques throughout the day during classes, tutorials, and at home, to counter the “flight or fight” response to stressful stimuli.

Social Thinking

The purpose of the Social Thinking curriculum is to increase each students’ ability to problem-solve socially in a group and recognize how their words and actions affect how others feel about them. The goal is to help the students become stronger “social thinkers”. The Social Thinking class is introduced biweekly in elementary Oral Expression classes through role plays, videos, and activities by an EMS Counselor, an Academic Advisor, and the speech/language consultant. All elementary teachers implement the taught skills and social vocabulary throughout the week in their classrooms as well as during milkbreak, lunch, and recess. To start off the school year, the elementary teachers will be introducing social topics that reinforce community building such as Role of the Student/Role of the Teacher, Thoughts & Feelings, Hidden Expectations & Conversation. Each elementary classroom displays social bubbles reminding the students of the social skills they are practicing. When students display a practiced skill, they receive a tally to acknowledge their ability to be a social thinker.

Questions regarding the Counseling Department can be directed to Laura Polvinen, 978-236-3142.