COUNSELING PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Here at Eastwood, we strive to equip every student with positive social skills and effective strategies for difficult situations. Every student will receive monthly social-emotional learning (SEL) from the evidenced-based program SecondSTEP directed by our Guidance Assistant and/or Elementary Resource Counseling (ERC) Specialist. The following skill building areas will be discussed: Skills for Learning, Empathy, Emotion Management, and Problem Solving. In addition to the classroom lessons, small groups, and individual counseling, students are offered Lunch Bunch gatherings once a week. These provide the opportunity for students to join the ERC during lunch to engage and socialize with peers in games and fun activities!
MEET OUR TEAM
ERIN SOHN
Hello Explorers, parents and families! My name is Erin Sohn and I am the Elementary Resource Counseling Specialist here at Eastwood Elementary. I received my Bachelors of Arts degrees in Psychology and Family Studies and Human Development from the University of Arizona. I also have my Masters of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Chapman University. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and my passion is working with school-aged children helping them learn ways to navigate and overcome life’s challenges while also empowering them to become amazing individuals. I focus on various aspects of our students’ needs including: increasing emotional-awareness, developing coping skills, social skills, and fostering self-esteem and confidence. I value our students’ social-emotional well-being and offer short-term counseling services for individuals and small groups, as well as social-emotional lessons throughout the year to whole classrooms.
In addition to supporting our students, I am also here to support our parents in the form of coordinating parent-meetings, crisis intervention, and providing connections to community resources. When I am not at Eastwood, I enjoy reading and visiting libraries and used bookstores, drinking coffee and trying new restaurants with my husband, playing fetch with my cat, and taking our 130-pound Great Dane to different parks around Orange County to enjoy the outdoors with an occasional picnic.
Should you feel that your child may benefit from counseling services, please talk to your teacher and/or feel free to contact me. I am on site Monday through Friday (7:45am-4:15pm). You can also reach me via phone at (949)936-8195 or email erinsohn@iusd.org.
KAREN OLIVER
Hello to Eastwood Families!
My name is Karen Oliver and I’m your Guidance Paraprofessional at Eastwood Elementary. I have been on staff here at Eastwood for 7 years, and have been working as an Elementary Guidance Assistant at other elementary campuses since 2009. You can find me here on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My primary role is to teach students about Social Skills: Empathy, Emotion Management, Problem Solving, Friendship Skills, Bullying Prevention, Inclusion and Communication. I visit most of our K-5 classrooms once a week for 30 minutes to present lessons that will help all students to feel better at school, to be better learners and to be better friends. I love working with our students! My other role at this school is as a Summative ELPAC Test Administrator for our English language learners. After school, in Dana Point, I work as a tutor for students in grades 3-10. And on Friday afternoons, my therapy dog and I visit an Assisted Living and Nursing Care community to promote well-being in the elderly there. I graduated from University of Maryland with a BA in Communications and minors in Music and Theater. I live in Capistrano Beach, CA with my husband, son and two Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs. In all of my different roles, I am focused on practicing empathy and supporting those who need it most.
INDIVIDUAL and SMALL GROUP COUNSELING
The Elementary Resource Counseling Program is designed to provide opportunities for students to participate in individual and small group counseling experiences that provide support and skill building for coping with family stressors, academic struggles, and personal issues. It is not unusual for students to need focused help to strengthen their social- emotional skills in order to be more learning ready during different times in their childhood. Many children struggle from time to time with a range of family and life circumstances (divorce, loss, moves, stress) that make coming to school more difficult and we are here to offer tools and support. Small group and individual counseling can be an excellent way for students to learn new skills, develop self- confidence, adjust behaviors, and learn to deal with challenges in healthy ways. Services are provided during the school day, once a week for approximately 30 minutes. These services are free of charge and voluntary. Every effort will be made to minimize the loss of important instructional time. Please Note: Information shared by your child in counseling sessions will be kept confidential unless there is an indication that your child is in danger of hurting himself/herself or others, that someone may be hurting your child, or if there is intent to cause significant property damage.
The Elementary Guidance Assistant Program is designed to offer social-emotional learning to students during their school day using an evidence based social-emotional classroom curriculum called Second Step. Second Step is designed to teach children how to understand and manage their emotions, control their reactions, be aware of others’ feelings, and have the skills to problem solve and make responsible decisions. These lessons will increase students learning-readiness and help them to move ahead successfully in school. Guidance Assistants are trained para-professional staff and are assigned at each of IUSD’s K-6 school sites to teach Second Step in the classroom and provide small group workshops for children who would benefit from additional support. Students with parent permission may participate in “TOOLBOX” groups, the small group workshops, which are a series of once-a-week, 30-45 minute small group lessons during the school day. Groups usually last for 10-12 weeks.