A randomly invited group of students from different grade levels, backgrounds, and areas of interest gathered recently in The Gregory School Student Counseling Office to have lunch and make prickly pear lemonade together. “It’s a way for new students and returning students to get to know the counselors and see that this office is a welcoming, safe place on campus,” school counselor Mrs. Ashley Hazan said. 

Mrs. Hazan and counselor Mr. Saul Ostroff, want all students to know that the Student Counseling Office is a welcoming and safe place, because they can help students solve all kinds of problems and find answers to all kinds of questions. “We can help with ‘How do I make new friends?’ ‘How do I solve a problem with a friend?’ or ‘How do I adapt to a new culture?’” Mr. Ostroff said. “We can talk, we can do role plays.” The counselors cite coping with anxiety and setting boundaries as other common issues students seek support with.

“Sometimes the day can just get overwhelming,” Mrs. Hazan said. “One of our goals is that this is a space where students can come to just catch their breath and gather themselves a bit.”

A school counselor is on campus Monday - Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Mrs. Hazan is here Monday - Thursday mornings, and Mr. Ostroff Monday - Thursday afternoons and all day Friday. Students are welcome to drop in or send an email to set up a time to meet with a counselor. Parents and faculty may also contact the Counseling Office to refer students

Besides walking in, making an appointment, or attending a lunch activity in the Student Counseling Office, students also work with our counselors through classroom time, advisories, and Friday Explorations. “We play games and do activities to make connections, solve problems, work on some team building, and hopefully have a little fun,” Mr. Ostroff said.

“We meet the needs of students wherever they are,” Mrs. Hazan said. “We find out what the needs are and find solutions, whether that’s role playing, finding outside resources, setting up an accommodation plan, or talking through a situation.”

Please look for helpful resources and contact information on The Gregory School Student Counseling webpage.