The impact of social-emotional problems on school success is well documented in the research. The influence of emotional issues such as low self esteem, anxiety, and depression often lead to poor performance in school, which exacerbates those emotional issues, further worsening school performance in a downward cycle of failure. Suffering the social isolation or fear from being victimized by bullies can draw a child’s attention away from academic studies. When a family is disrupted by divorce or the loss of a loved one it can be challenging for a child or teen to concentrate in school. Sometimes the guidance and perspective of a therapist is needed to help the child or adolescent find their way back to a successful school experience.
Pathways provides a program of individual counseling based on a problem solving, cognitive-behavioral approach. The objective of such therapy is to assist children and adolescents in developing effective coping strategies so that they can be more successful in school. Targeted areas include behavior problems (e.g., acting out), emotional reactions (e.g., anger), and distorted thinking (e.g., blaming failure on the teacher). The course of the intervention also includes an examination of the influence of executive functions on social and emotional adjustment. Parents and other family members may be included in this program of intervention.
