COUNSELING St. Albert's the Great School offers individual counseling services to any student in grades Kindergarten through 8th grade. Most students are referred for counseling by a parent, but a teacher may also make a referral after they have discussed their concern with the student's parents. In order for a student to be seen for counseling, written permission is required from the parents or legal guardian. Some of the issues presented by students in counseling include problems with friends, problems at home, feeling down, conflicts with teachers, being bullied, and a lot more. There are times when a student will walk into my office with a question or a minor issue they want to discuss. If the issue is a minor matter, we will try to resolve it quickly, but if it is a more serious matter, then parental permission will be requested. Support groups also are offered to students at St. Albert the Great. Parents usually are sent information at right around the first or second month of school. One of the most popular groups is the Study & Organizational Skills group. There also are groups for divorce, anger management, self-esteem, and overcoming anxiety. Permission from parents or legal guardians is required for a student to participate in a group. Groups usually are made up of 5 or 6 students who are close to one another in age or grade. Sometimes only one student is signed up for a group, in which case the group will not be held, but if the parent or guardian wishes information about the group to be sent home (such as "Tips to increase self-esteem"), that can be arranged. If you, as a parent, teacher, or administrator have any ideas for group topics, please let me know. TESTING We offer limited testing services, which may include assessment for giftedness (referral must be approved by principal) as well as screening for concerns such as depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and some pervasive developmental disorders such as Asperger's syndrome. We do not offer comprehensive diagnostic workups but we can discuss how you might go about receiving such services in the community.