Counseling UA

Students benefit every day from school counselors who help to provide a safe and beneficial environment for students.
University Academy recognized National School Counseling Week from Feb. 3-7. This event was full of celebrations for counselors, as students and staff expressed their appreciation for them. The week-long celebration is meant to foster a better understanding of the unique contributions that counselors make, not just to individual students but to the community as a whole.
Two of UA’s counselors, Ms. Faith Casel, Middle School counselor, and Mr. George Jefferson, Upper School counselor, were highlighted for this occasion. Mr. Jefferson is actually a counselor practitioner for Upper School, as he is currently in school for his Master of Science in marriage and family therapy at Friends University’s Overland Park campus.
A typical day in the life of a school counselor includes many things. There may be set meetings and classroom teaching, but counselors must also be flexible enough to handle a crisis if needed. Counselors have some scheduled meetings with students, and they also work with different organizations that partner with the school.
As UA prioritizes mental health, counselors encourage students to feel free to reach out if they are struggling or simply want to talk to someone. Students can also schedule a meeting or notify UA staff members if they are concerned about themselves or a peer. UA’s counselors are available to look out for students’ mental health in all aspects.
“At school that looks like the adults, students and staff being able to understand and hold space for each other both individually and collectively to ensure student excellence,” Mr. Jefferson said. “I love the UA student body. I think what we do here and what our students do in this school is special.”
Mr. Jefferson ultimately wants UA to be a safe space for students to be open and vulnerable, even if it regards a student’s personal matters. He believes students should be heard and feel comfortable sharing difficult things with someone in the building.
“The hardest part of the job is to show people, myself included, that communicating around hard and vulnerable things is necessary and meaningful,” Mr. Jefferson said. He emphasized that those who have troubles may struggle since some people may not want assistance, but instead of avoiding these troubles, others should work through them.
By promoting vulnerability and an open-mindedness, counselors are able to better understand students, which builds the rapport between students and counselors. However, counselors are aware that this takes time.
As UA’s counselors invest an abundance of time in students and connections throughout each day, work can take a toll on them even outside of school. It can be hard to fathom the thought of students dealing with such heavy situations.
“The most difficult part of the job is leaving work at work,” Ms. Casel said. “Being a counselor, I am naturally incredibly empathetic, and knowing the problems some of my students go through at school and outside of school was hard to not constantly think about.”
She said that now when she gets in her car after school, she switches her brain over to thinking about her personal life.
Great compassion and understanding are traits that counselors seem to naturally hold. Counselors believe in students and their ability to heal and want to contribute by any means necessary.
UA’s counselors value the bonds they’ve created with students and the rapport they have built through healthy communication and understanding.
For anyone who missed the official National School Counseling Week, students still have the opportunity to show appreciation to counselors by leaving a note, sending an email or even making a small gift.
Every student’s mental health is vital. There is beauty in every struggle, and every voice matters.