Welcome!
My mission is to work collaboratively with students, parents, faculty, administration, and the community to provide all students with consistent comprehensive guidance counseling. Services include: individual course and career planning, individual and group support, and counseling. My goal is to assist students to grow in their academic, personal, social, and career development. I seek to help students and families to learn well and overcome barriers to a quality educational experience.
Who am I?
“I have sawdust in my blood.” Meaning that I am a farm girl at heart, without a farm. When I was young, I was in 4-H and showed Guernsey’s, chickens, and beef cows here in the area. (Thank you Gramma, Aunt D, and Uncle P.) I went to Washington State University for two and a half years, married, and transferred to Portland State University where I completed my BS in Elementary Education.
After some very incredibly wonderful and then very difficult times, I went to Graduate School and became a Mental Health Professional. I hold a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and have been a professional mental health counselor, dual diagnosis counselor, and certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor (Oregon credentials).
I am blessed to be the mother of 3 talented and amazing “adulting” children. They are all very different, and each one gave me some huge parenting challenges. Our house now includes 2 dachshunds, and 2 best, worst, terrible cats. Recently I was given the incredible gift of meeting and marrying a wonderful man. I enjoy sewing, quilting, travel, animals, family, and friends.
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CHILDHOOD & ADULT ATTENTION DEFICIT DISCORDER:
This is a great video that explains what ADD can look like functionally. Gerry Brooks is a very successful Elementary School Principal who creates silly videos about the woes of being a teacher and/or principal. He travels the country doing some comedy shows every now and then. This video, while using his “put-on accent” for humor's sake really describes a serious subject. It is humorous and extremely revealing how education is negatively impacted.
DEPRESSION: Depression is a serious mental illness that can interfere with a person's life. The signs of depression could include long-lasting feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and even apathy. Unlike sadness or short-term depression, clinical depression often requires medical intervention.
The following 4-minute video is a good general overview of depression symptoms and usual treatments.
"What is Depression?" Video Link
This video has some of the same information as the first one, but it is presented a bit differently and gives suggestions about how to help someone who is showing signs of depression. It is worth viewing both videos.
"What is depression?" TedEd Animation Video Link
*** Excellent Resource about several Mental Health Diagnosis with tips on how to best parent children who meet the diagnostic criteria including ADHD/ADD, Anxiety, Autism, Behavior Problems, Depression & Mood Disorders, Learning Disorders, Learning Disorders, Screen Time & Technology and Developmental Norms for Teens & Young Adults.