Discussing the Challenges of Mental Health at School
Head of Upper School Gene Campbell speaking to a student, Sep. 22, 2020. Faculty have put an emphasis on mental health this year because of the challenges brought on by the pandemic. (Da Ping Luo)
As a result of the new concerns over the community’s mental wellbeing, students, parents, and teachers meet with Jessi Soles, the High School Wellness Counselor, or Amy Anselmo, the Director of Wellness and the Lower and Middle School Wellness Counselor.
“Students are coming to see me more because they feel lonely and isolated,” Ms. Anselmo said. “Kids used to have more outlets, but now you have more time to think, and you have more time by yourself, and I think everything has been heightened because of that.”
The meetings cover many topics surrounding issues caused by school, friends, or even parents, but now Ms. Soles and Ms. Anslemo are seeing new issues due to the pandemic. In general, the meetings occurring now are more focused on feelings of isolation, sadness, and anxiety, but it differs depending on the grade level. For the lower and middle school, Ms. Anselmo said that she is seeing kids for many different reasons.
“At the lower school level, the students are struggling with self regulation and need support learning coping strategies to manage their emotions and behaviors. In Middle School, it appears to me that the kids seem to be struggling with feelings of anxiety and loneliness, and a shift in their moods with strong emotional responses.”
Ms. Soles has seen that most kids are coming to her because they are tired of uncertainty. Though they are filling their time, they are not necessarily experiencing a lot of joy.
“In the upper school, the trend I am seeing is kids asking, where is the finish line,” she said. They’re just hanging in there. The older boys know how to occupy their time, but they are tired of the things that usually keep them occupied, like video games. But, if you’re not doing that, then you’re not able to engage socially right now, especially if you’re someone who is fully remote.” Ms. Soles
Whenever a student, parent, or teacher is facing an issue in their life or when they just need someone to talk to, they can schedule appointments with Ms. Soles or Anselmo. High school students can schedule meetings with Ms. Soles, while lower and middle school students should schedule meetings with Ms. Anselmo through YouCanBookMe.com.
“Booking a time with me is easy, it’s simple, but also a lot of consulting with teachers at this point too, with pod leaders, for anything they might be seeing or if they ever have a concern, the same thing with parents if they’re stuff going on a home or if they’re their kids' grades are dropping or be engaged socially.” Ms. Soles
Students can schedule either 15, 30, or 60-minute sessions to discuss what they are going through, the emotions they are feeling, and find an outlet for advice/solutions to those feelings.
“But we hope that if they are not meeting with us, they are making connections with other adults in the Browning community, such as an advisor, teacher, club sponsor, former coach, anyone who students feel like know them best.” Ms. Anselmo said. “I would love for them to meet with Mrs. Soles and me since we are available to talk at most times throughout the day. I’ve met with students at 8 pm at night, so I think we’re pretty accommodating in that sense. But if kids are nervous, I hope that they reach out to another student and ask about us, and that will encourage them to meet with us. Our goal is to provide students with the support and resources they need."