Mental Health Support
Florida Christian School has established a Mental Health Department to provide services for the students on campus.
The Mental Health Department is currently staffed by two Christian Licensed Mental Health Therapists, whose goal is to support our students’ mental health by providing a safe space to express emotions, challenges, and life experiences. We will encourage each student to increase overall self-awareness and growth while integrating the Word of God with therapeutic modalities. One of the many blessings of this program is that through Christian principals, we can help students gain hope and understanding of God’s purpose and His presence during hardships in a supportive, confidential setting.
Our services include individual counseling, age-appropriate psycho-educational topics, educating teachers and staff on identifying mental health concerns within the student body, facilitating parent mental health workshops, and consulting and collaborating with parents, teachers, administrators and community resources as needed.
Parents can expect mental health services at FCS to be brief, preventative, and proactive. These sessions can include, but are not limited to:
- Identifying Triggers
- Setting Boundaries
- Anger Management
- Conflict Resolution
- Building Healthy Relationships
- Increasing Positive Coping Skills
FCS Mental Health Therapists are available to meet with students on an as-needed basis who may be faced with issues and challenges that arise throughout the school year. Parents, if your child informs you that they met with a therapist during school hours, please rest assured that they are not in any kind of disciplinary trouble. It should be noted that mental health therapy does not equal punishment for behavior. In fact, most students can benefit from mental health therapy for a variety of reasons such as, but not limited to:
- Being able to talk about difficult topics with people other than friends or family
- Difficulty adjusting to changes in life
- Eating disorder symptoms such as restrictive eating or binge eating
- Feelings of loneliness
- Problems with negative thinking
- Struggles with identity or self-worth
Students can be referred by faculty and parents and can also initiate self-referrals. Referrals should be emailed to gini.pedreguera@floridachristian.org and nicole.bueno@floridachristian.org. Please make sure to include the student’s first and last name, grade level, and the reason for referral in order to schedule an appointment.
If it is identified that the students' needs require more than the therapist can provide in the school setting, referrals to a professional within the community will be made.
We look forward to getting to know you and the students throughout the year and are expectant of what the Lord will do through the Mental Health Department here at FCS. If you have any questions regarding the counseling program, please do not hesitate to email us at the email addresses provided above.
