Counseling

Our school counselor is the coordinator for the Comprehensive School Counseling Program at Odyssey Elementary and Jr. Hope Squad/Peer Leaders. Our School Counselor is also the facilitator of the PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support) program. This means that Odyssey counseling interventions provide a school-wide support system for each student, while also focusing on school wide initiatives that promote positive behaviors. This is provided for all students here at Odyssey. 

This counseling page is here to provide educational information to parents and students of Odyssey Elementary as well as the community. Listed resources include information on career exploration, mental health, suicide prevention, social emotional learning, and other community resources that may help individuals in search of guidance with navigating school and life.

 

Meet Our School Counselor

Hello! My name is Mrs. Atkins and I am the School Counselor here at Odyssey Elementary School. I love being an Odyssey Explorer! Some of my favorite things to do are read books, Zumba, listen to music, and spend time with my husband and cute dog. I went to Utah State University for my Bachelor's degree, and then continued on to get my M.ED in School Counseling there, as well.

As a School Counselor, I am here to serve students and encourage them to become the best version of themselves. I support students individually, in small groups, and in the classroom. My focus is building social and emotional skills with students, while preparing them to be college and career ready. I do not provide therapy, but I can support students through individual counseling, during which students may discuss worries, barriers to learning, and strategies they can use to assist in meeting their social and emotional needs. I also help students by recognizing and responding to mental health crises, then suggesting resources to further aid the student.

For individual student counseling, students can be referred by teachers or parents. When meeting with students I determine their specific needs and then, if necessary, I will send a permission form to parents/guardians for continued individual counseling.

For small group counseling, students can be referred by teachers or parents. I may also identify a student as a candidate for group counseling through individual meetings. I will then send a permission form to parents/guardians. During small groups, they will be taught social and emotional skills in a safe group setting. Examples of topics I may cover in small groups include friendship, communication, emotions, and finding coping strategies. At the beginning and after finishing all group sessions, students may complete a brief evaluation to determine personal progress and the effectiveness of the group curriculum. (Data from group evaluations will remain confidential.)

For classroom instruction, I will collaborate with teachers to provide brief instruction on social/emotional, character, and being college and career ready. This means creating lesson plans and working with teachers so these ideas go along with what is being taught in a classroom. Examples of topics I may personally cover in the classroom setting may include kindness, responsibility, mindfulness, goal setting, and career exploration.

My goal is to be a valuable resource for students, parents, and faculty members here at Odyssey Elementary, helping create a safe place for students by removing barriers so they can succeed socially, emotionally, and academically. Please contact me if you have questions or concerns about a student. I can be reached by e-mail at atkinsd@ogdensd.org or by phone at (801)-737-8422. 

I look forward to working with you and the Odyssey community!