For National School Counseling Week 2023, we are highlighting some of our fantastic school counselors and asking them to provide some insight on what it means to work with the wonderful students of the Norwalk Public School system. Today, we talk to high school counselor Chad Southerland, middle school counselor Kaitlin Douglas and elementary school counselor Nicole Bria.

Chad Southerland – High School counselor

How important are counselors to students across our district?
Counselors play an integral role in the fabric of schools and as advocates, supporters and encouragers with student life. We work tirelessly to serve as stakeholders with those we work with, collaborating with staff, families and community members to support the very young people we are honored to support. 
 
What has been your greatest success at Norwalk Public Schools? What do you still look to accomplish?
My greatest success has been in working with our young people and building a welcoming environment where students can seek and receive support and encouragement.  Over these last few years, we've been able to really be creative in connecting with students with an increase in being technologically savvy and finding ways to engage parents virtually if in-person meeting may pose a challenge. Looking forward, I want to increase my skills in working with multi-lingual learners, honing and increasing my Spanish, and being more and more refined in proactively planning for students so that their access to opportunities and programs can be maximized. 
 
Coming out of the pandemic, where students are relearning their social skills, how big of a role do counselors play?
I have found that students are really re-engaging with a changing world, adjusting to socializing with their peers and navigating the effects of trauma that many of us experienced with the pandemic. Counselors play an integral role in helping to reacclimate students, provide listening and support, and in forging connections with staff and peers for students who would have otherwise been missing these important elements of their growth and wellness. 
 
What are the biggest hurdles for students to overcome social and emotional challenges?
Moving through the world while balancing challenges in education, culture, change and social media can be difficult. Working with students to help them develop the skills of self-advocacy, as well as helping them build confidence in their identity and uniqueness allows for young people to have that much more in their toolbox in being successful and well-adjusted adults. 
 
What unique challenges does counseling your age group present and why are counselors uniquely equipped to handle them?
Counseling high school students requires a level of patience and understanding that is similar to working with adults.  Students need to feel validated, heard and respected, and so the rapport building is integral. In addition, helping them to feel comfortable with themselves is important as high school can be such a time of huge transition, change, and even uncertainty. 

Kaitlin Douglas – Middle School counselor

How important are counselors to students across the district? 

School counselors' main focus is on the success of students across the district. Everything we do is to maximize student potential. We build relationships with students and families. We collaborate with colleagues and local community agencies. We are advocates, mentors and supporters. We are change agents of equity, access, achievement and opportunity for all students. School counselors play a vital role in the lives of students by helping to set them on the path toward personal, academic and career success. 

What has been your greatest success at Norwalk Public Schools? What do you still look to accomplish?

I have only been a counselor at Norwalk Public Schools for six months, However, my greatest accomplishment at this point in my career are the relationships that I have built with my students, families and my colleagues. I pride myself on the positive connections that I have developed so quickly. 

With that being said, there is so much I still hope to accomplish in my career here at Norwalk Public Schools. I am very eager to take on a more active role in some of the outreach programs and community agencies that we utilize in Norwalk. I want to continue to foster working relationships with the wonderful organizations that we have available to us. 

Coming out of the pandemic, where students are relearning their social skills, how big of a role do counselors play?

School counselors play an important role in helping students navigate social situations. We must teach and model appropriate interactions with peers. We must educate students on the skills that are necessary for successful relationships. Counselors help facilitate conversations and interactions among students, when needed. School counselors encourage students to be genuine and authentic in their relationships with others.

What unique challenges does counseling your age group present and why are counselors uniquely equipped to handle them? 

Middle school is a time of transition for students that presents a unique set of challenges. It is a period of personal and social growth. They are adjusting to a new learning environment, while navigating social pressures. They are discovering who they are as individuals, while also trying to relate to peers. They are gaining a new level of freedom and independence that brings about a new level of autonomy and responsibility. This can be a lot of pressure to handle all at once.  

School counselors wear a variety of different hats and can switch among them almost instantaneously. One minute you are helping a student with time-management skills and the next minute you are facilitating a conversation between peers, while 20 minutes later you may be teaching coping skills to another student. This flexibility is essential as a middle school counselor because you never know what the day will bring. As a middle school counselor, you need to be prepared for anything.  

Nicole Bria – Elementary School counselor

How important are counselors to students across the district?
Counselors are essential in schools everywhere!

What has been your greatest success at Norwalk Public Schools? What do you still look to accomplish?
My greatest success at NPS has been building relationships with students, staff and parents. These relationships are crucial to my ability to support our community. I look forward to continuing to make connections with stakeholders across the district!

Coming out of the pandemic, where students are relearning their social skills, how big of a role do counselors play?
Counselors are playing a huge role in breaking down the barriers that have come out of the pandemic, especially related to social skills deficits. Students missed out on important years of social skill development and now we are trying to fill in the gaps. Counselors have a unique skillset that allows us to collaborate with teachers and parents and provide interventions and support in order to begin to fill these gaps. This can look like facilitating social skills groups, pushing into classrooms to provide naturalistic teaching in the moment, providing classroom lessons focused on social skills topics, and consulting with stakeholders to best support students. 

What are the biggest hurdles for students to overcome social and emotional challenges?
Students who experience struggles related to self-regulation, impulse control, self-esteem, executive functioning, etc. have a difficult time accessing their educational environment. It is up to us as educators to recognize these social and emotional challenges and put supports in place so that students can be their best selves inside and outside of school. 

What unique challenges does counseling your age group present and why are counselors uniquely equipped to handle them?
One challenge is getting that “buy in” from the students that you need in order to really make an impact. In elementary school, it can be challenging to teach certain social/emotional/behavioral skills because at this age, students may not truly understand why these skills are so important. Taking the time to build rapport and strong relationships with students allows me to get the “buy in” that I need.