Happy Summer!
We went for our first swim a few weeks ago, and it was brisk! I really enjoy swimming and being in water so I hope the weather warms up. Our Cedarburg office is moving July 1st! But it’s only 1 block away from the current office. The space is larger, and we can see more clients there. Jennifer Skinner and JoEllyn Schultz are the primary therapists out of the Cedarburg office (for now!). Jennifer joins us this month and we are happy to have her on board! She has been a school counselor for a few years and sees children and adults. She will be in West Bend one day a week and Cedarburg 2 days a week. I have included her profile in this newsletter. She can be reached at Jennifer@kettlemorainecounseling.com or by calling the clinic. Until next time, be gentle with yourself and others.
Devona Marshall Clinic Dire
Jennifer Skinner, M.S., T.L.P.C., L.P.S.C.
Jennifer is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Professional School Counselor with experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families who present a wide range of clinical needs. She creates a safe, healing environment that is focused on enhancing a client’s resources and strengths. From this foundation, clients are able to identify challenges and set goals, so that they can begin to make changes that will positively affect their lives and sense of self.
Prior to joining Kettle Moraine Counseling, Jennifer worked as a clinical intern at an outpatient clinic with a culturally diverse population of at-risk youth who experienced severe trauma including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and neglect. Many of the children she worked with display symptoms such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, impulsivity, and aggression. She also currently works as a school counselor and has experience with facilitating and designing various groups catered to specific behavioral and academic needs for students, such as bully prevention, self-esteem, character development, problem solving, and other social-emotional issues.
After earning her undergraduate degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jennifer obtained a Master Degree in clinical and school counseling from Concordia University. Jennifer believes that treatment techniques must be based on the particular needs of the individual, recognizing that each individual is influenced by many factors within his/her environment. She integrates a variety of therapies, including play therapy, cognitive-behavioral (CBT), Person-Centered, and Brief Solution-Focused therapies to achieve healing and growth for individuals and families.
Jennifer’s specialties and interests include:
- Children/adolescent behavioral & emotional issues
- School issues
- ADHD
- Anxiety
- Trauma
- Self-esteem
- Depression
- Adjustment/life transitions
Happy Father’s Day!
June is already here. Happy Father’s Day to all of you and to my own Papa!
Christina Lachner MS TLPC
It is already the end of the school year, with field trips, graduations, and your children are counting down the last few days that are left. Everyone is scrambling to plan out what to do this summer. So, who has time to think about school re-opening in September? You, of course! The little things that you do now before/as school ends will make the start of school much easier. These suggestions that I will be listing below will make your child get off to a great start in September and his/her teacher prepared for a new child with new needs or symptoms. Let’s get organized for the next school year and have a great summer!
- Get specific feedback from your child’s teacher about his/her major problems, major strengths or resources, and any techniques that were particularly effective.
- If you have given the teacher any articles on ADHD/ADD or your child’s disabilities, ask the teacher if s/he can forward it (or them) to next year’s teacher or if s/he prefers just return the materials so that you can forward them.
- If your child is continuing in the same school next year, ask this year’s teacher if s/he can talk to next year’s teacher and share his or her observations about special needs and effective strategies.
- If your child is changing schools, ask the Director of Special Education (if your child is classified) if you can arrange for your child to get an individual tour of the new school before this school year ends so that your child isn’t anxious all summer about a new building. If it’s possible for your child to actually meet next year’s teacher now, that would be very helpful, too.
- Before school ends, send a brief letter/email to next year’s teacher(s). If you don’t know the teacher’s name yet, send it to the guidance department for the receiving school or the building principal with a note asking them to deliver it to your child’s teacher’s mailbox once assignments are determined.
- Make sure you send a letter/email to this year’s teacher(s) thanking them. There are exceptions, but most teachers are extremely industrious and have probably made a lot of effort in helping your child. The same applies to any school support staff or specialists who you feel did their best to help your child. You may want to pass a copy of the letter on to the school principal for the teacher(s), staff, or specialist’s file.
- If your child is changing schools, ask the school nurse whether any medication records are being forwarded, and if so, will any notes about side effects or cautions be forwarded.
Always ask; schools do not automatically do this. - If your child is taking a medication holiday or break for summer vacation, find out from the prescribing physician when you should contact him or her to resume or re-initiate medications. Since some medications take time to build up in the system, you do not want to start again the first day of school unless the physician advises waiting.
In July and August I will suggest easy things to do that will make the start of school a little less chaotic. Let’s see you and your child prepared in September. Have a wonderful June!
Christina@kettlemorainecounseling.com
