Counselor's Corner

Hello! My name is Nancy Brewer, and I am the School Counselor at Dodgeville Elementary School. This page will provide you with information about the School Counseling program at DES, counseling topics and resources.

What is a School Counselor?

School Counseling services are delivered in four specific ways:

Classroom Counseling Curriculum- designing ,structuring, and delivering classroom lessons so that students develop specific outcome-driven competencies in all grades ELP-5 (personal/social, academic, career)and driven by the needs of the school population.
Individual Student Planning- assisting students with goal formation/planning (behavioral, academic, etc.)
Responsive Services- meeting immediate student needs (counseling, crisis intervention, consultation, referral, peer mediation, information-providing).
System Support- schoolwide program planning and implementation (PBIS, Instructional Leadership Teaming, etc.), consulting with other professionals, coordination of various supports for students and families.

How does your child experience School Counseling services?

Individual Counseling- I may work with a student in a safe, positive, and confidential setting to address issues that 'get in the way' of' school achievement. Topics are based on the needs of the student and may include: understanding feelings, changing families/divorce, grief, stress, social skills, academics, bullying, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Small Group Counseling- A process where students sharing similar issues or concerns work together in a small group environment consisting of about 3-6 peers. The group sessions usually last about 30 minutes and are held for approximately 6-8 weeks. Topics are based on the needs of the students and may include divorce or changing families, grief and loss, friendship and social skills, study skills, conflict resolution, anger management, self-esteem, and stress-management.
Classroom Counseling lessons- I develop and implement ELP-5th grade classroom curriculum driven by national and state school counseling outcomes. I often co-plan and co-teach lessons with other professionals in the building to support social and emotional growth across curricular areas. Classroom lessons are regularly scheduled and address personal, social, academic, and career-related needs at the child's developmental level. Topics may include self-esteem, conflict resolution, study skills, anger management, career awareness, tattling/reporting, friendship/social skills, responsibility, respect, teasing/bullying, feelings, cooperation, goal setting/decision-making, and peer pressure. I almost always send home a letter to parents after each and every classroom lesson because I believe that a strong home-school partnership is what's best for kids.

Counseling Approaches Commonly Used to Assist Students:

Play Therapy (exploring & role-playing solutions, creative representations of life situations)
Bibliotherapeutic Experiences (reading & discussing books relevant to whatever the student is experiencing)
Conflict-Resolution processes (working out disagreements)
Video-clip discussion/analysis (identifying strengths, challenges, solutions)
Behavioral Coaching/Role Plays (goal-setting & encouragement)
Therapeutic Games (card & board games focused on developing coping skills)
Active Listening & Academic/Organizational Skill-Development (study skills, etc.)
Cognitive/Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Solution-Focused Brief Counseling
Group Counseling
Person Centered Therapy
Mindfulness Practices

Departments