This is my 6th year in the Lafayette School District and my 5th year as the full-time counselor at Springhill. While I’m from Laguna Hills in SoCal, I’ve made the Bay Area my home years ago. I have two cute and mischievous kids, 12 & 9 year olds, with my husband, Dave. We live in Pleasant Hill, and love sports, biking, swimming, and playing card games.

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2026-2027

Every individual child has the right to learn in an environment that encourages growth and expansion. All students can acquire the skills to be successful across their lifespan.

B.A. in Comm.from USC

M.A. in Counseling from St. Mary’s

LMFT #68221

Individual Short-Term Counseling

Classroom SEL Lessons & Toolbox support

Small Groups Counseling

Parent Conference Support

Academic Support

SEL Parent/Teacher Resource

Behavior Intervention

Crisis Response

School-Wide Initiatives

SST Participation

Ms. Jennifer Girard (Ms. G)

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If you’d like to set up an appointment with me to discuss your child’s needs or would like to refer your child for brief short-term counseling services, please send me an email or check out parent referral on my google site.

jgirard@lafsd.org

ext 8004

Monday-Friday

7:45am-3:45pm

Counselor Connection Site

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Q: What does an Elementary School Counselor do?

A: Elementary years is when students develop and acquire attitudes toward school, self, peers, social groups and family. We work to provide education, prevention and intervention services, which are integrated into all aspects of children’s lives. We aim to enhance their social and emotional growth through both direct and indirect student services. We do this through tiered program planning and implementation of classroom lessons, small groups, individual counseling and more!

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Q: Can you provide my student with counseling?

A: Sure! I am happy to work with your student on a short-term basis. Individual counseling with me is brief and solution focused in nature. I typically meet with a student for about 6-8 sessions before making other referrals. School counseling services are not a substitute for therapy. If your student needs therapy or other intensive services, I am happy to collaborate with you to make the appropriate referrals for those supports.

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Q: Can my student be a part of a small group?

A: Possibly! Small groups are formed based on need, grade level scheduling, universal screening data, teacher recommendation, and individual student screening. If your student would be a good fit for a group I will be running, I will send home consents and more information.

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Q: What’s the difference between the counselor & the principal?

A: The role of a principal is to provide strategic direction in the school system The school counselor role is restorative, supportive and student-centered. It is not appropriate for school counselors to perform disciplinary actions or assign

discipline consequences. School counselors are often hired under a teaching contract and so personnel concerns should be dealt with by an administrator.

We service

all

students!

Are encouraged to spend

• 80% of time in direct and indirect student services
• 20% of time on program management and school support

Counseling sessions provided by the school counselor are brief and solution-focused in nature. School counseling services are not a substitute for therapy. If you are interested in seeking community-based outpatient therapy, a higher level of support, for your child, here are some helpful tips.

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THE GOOGLE SEARCH:

• In your search try looking for “outpatient counseling”, “counseling services”, “therapy”, “mental health counseling” near you. The words counseling & therapy are interchangeable.

YOUR INSURANCE:

• Some outpatient counselors/therapists bill your insurance. When you call, make sure to ask them to check your insurance to see if they are a match for you and how much your copay will be.

INTAKE SESSION:

• Most agencies will first schedule you for an intake. This is where they will meet with you to discuss concerns and collect a detailed history of the child/family.

ALL ABOUT THE MATCH:

• Success in therapy is heavily reliant on finding a good match. If your child doesn’t like and trust the therapist after giving them a good try, I suggest asking for a new therapist and/or finding a new agency.
• With elementary students, so much of their life is influenced by their parents. A good therapist will ask the parents to meet with them on a regular basis for family therapy session and/or parent coaching.

“TALK” THERAPY:

• Most therapists use some form of talk therapy. While each therapist may have a different theoretical orientation, most good talk therapists use validation, reflection of feeling & meaning, and other techniques to help the client explore their thoughts & feelings and use their inner desire to succeed to help generate and clarify solutions to problems.

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COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT):

• CBT is a very well-known and well-researched method of helping clients learn evidenced based strategies for changing their thinking. The concept with CBT is that thoughts cause feelings/emotions, and by correcting negative thought patterns, one can feel better. This practice has been heavily researched and proven to reduce anxiety, depression and many other presenting concerns. It can be done with kids & adults.

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PLAY THERAPY:

• It can be tricky to find a play therapist in certain regions/areas, but play therapy can be a great choice for many kids. Kids who are very young or who struggle to verbalize their feelings/thoughts are a great match for play therapy. The therapist allows the client to play freely and by specific commenting techniques is able to guide the child through working through certain life events or feelings that are present.

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Breathing

Triangle

HOLD: 1 2 3 4

HOLD: 1 2 3 4

Repeat as needed

FIGURE 8 BREATH:

Use your finger to trace the 8. Breathe in as you trace the left side, breathe out as you trace the right side.

GRATITUDE CHECK:

Write 3 things you are grateful for.

THE WALL PUSH-UPS:

Set your timer.

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Do push-ups against the wall until the time is up.

IN: 1 2 3 4

OUT: 1 2 3 4

SQUARE BREATH

In case you are a book lover like me and looking for any reading ideas, I've compiled a list of books on the topics of parenting, relationship with kids, child well-being, etc. I haven't read every single one but many come highly recommended from colleagues in the field. I'm currently working my way through the list. If you choose to read one or two, let me know what you think!

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• Parenting With Love And Logic by Foster Cline
• Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic Paperback by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
• Transforming the Difficult Child: The Nurtured Heart Approach by Howard Glasser
• Explosive Child, The: A New Approach For Understanding And Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children Paperback by Ross W. Greene
• The 5 Principles of Parenting by Dr. Aliza Pressman
• The Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy
• The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind Paperback by Daniel J. Siegel
• How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk Paperback by Adele Faber
• Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents by Christine Carter
• Girls Without Limits by Lisa Hinkelman
• The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively Paperback by Gary Chapman
• Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain Paperback by Dr. Daniel J. Siegel
• Raising Human Beings: Creating a Collaborative Partnership with Your Child Paperback by Ross W. Greene Ph.D
• Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids Paperback by Kim John Payne

Parent Tip:

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