Workshops
I offer a variety of workshops to support both students and their families.
In our rapidly changing global world, students need to develop skills to foster their academic success and social-emotional growth. Workshops offered will support students through the college planning and placement process and help students learn more about themselves and how to manage difficult situations.
A minimum of five students is needed per workshop. Workshops can be run in both home and zoom settings.
The College Search Process
The college exploration process begins by determining the criteria you are looking for within an academic and college community. In this workshop, we will explore various areas that will help you narrow down your search and begin to hone in on which colleges/universities will best fit your profile. We will also use various college search engines to learn more about the admissions criteria needed to gain entrance to each college of interest. Most importantly, once a college is added to your list, we will explore Naviance to learn more about the students in your particular high school that gained acceptance in the past.
A Step By Step Guide to the Common Application
When it comes to sitting down and starting the application, many students tend to avoid it. It is hard to take that first step. The Common app 101 workshop will walk students through the application step by step. Students will leave the workshop with the bulk of the application done and know what is left that they need to complete.
*Please note that the essays will not be done during the workshop and that students will need to submit them independently.
Resume Building
When creating a resume or working on a college application activity section, it is vital to make a strong statement, which is a considerable challenge, especially for high school-aged students. Students may not have as much experience as they like or know how to organize and highlight their accomplishments. As someone with a prior history in human resources, I have direct knowledge of what makes a resume stand out and how to create a strong impression.
Parenting Do's and Don'ts in the College Process
Especially during application time, there can be a lot of stress, uncertainty, and conflict in your home.
Should you call an admissions rep for your child to check on your child's application? Should you ask Tommy every day whether they worked on their application, talked to their teacher, or is keeping their grades up? Do you tell your friend that your child also applied to Cornell and now your kids are in competition? Do you contact financial aid to see if you can get any more money? These are all questions that might be keeping you awake at night.
Parents walk a fine line as they want to be a support, but they also want to keep their child on task, so they do not miss important deadlines. This is also a very emotional time for parents as they figure out how to let go of some control and deal with the knowledge that their child is getting ready to leave the nest. It helps to know that you are not alone and that there are some steps you can take to create a bit more structure and calm during this heightened time.
Does your Digital Imprint Affect the College Process?
I cannot tell you how many times I have had to speak to students that what they put on the internet stays on the internet! Even if they have their profile set to PRIVATE. I have seen firsthand what happens when a college admissions officer, scholarship committee, or job employer has become aware of images and comments online of a student who has not fit the profile portrayed in their application. Students and families must become aware of their digital imprint and how this can affect them long term.
Career Exploration - using the Myers Brigg Type Indicator (MBTI)
As a first step to thinking about college fit and long-term career goals, it is essential to know who you are and what makes you tick. MBTI stands for the Myers Brigg Type Indicator, and this is a great tool to use as a first step in the process. The MBTI helps you understand more about your personality, how you take in and process information, how you make decisions, and your strengths and weaknesses. After completing the MBTI, students become more self-aware and learn what careers and college programs might be best suited for their personality.
Managing Screen Time
Before COVID, there was great concern that the increased use of screens was unhealthy. However, through this pandemic, it was made clear that screens were also a blessing as we could stay connected in a way we could never have envisioned.
There is no doubt that screens are here to stay. I have seen firsthand how digital screens have impacted the changing culture of kids. I have been involved in many panel discussions with students and families. I have written a blog on this topic and recently created a workshop series for parents to help manage screen time amidst the COVID pandemic.
We are all living in this virtual world, and there are both positives and negatives involved. I offer workshops to both students and families to safely explore their relationship with screens and safely use this technology.
Test Stress/Anxiety
There is no doubt that many students experience major anxiety when taking a test or assessment! This fact is also why so many colleges and universities have decided to become test optional in the admissions process. Students who experience particular stress in exam situations often cannot think clearly, blank out and do not perform according to ability level. In this 3-day workshop, we will cover before, during and after exam strategies to help. We will also review strategies for different types of exam including general exam tests, math tests, and reading/writing.
Building Resiliency Through DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) Informed Skills
(Time: 6-8 1 hour sessions)
There is no doubt that this generation has had to deal with situations and topics that we never thought they would experience in their lifetime. COVID-19, quarantine, learning in a remote setting, the storming of our nation's capital, race riots, and the division within our country; are only some of the heightened situations and images they have been exposed to daily.
Perhaps what is essential to living a healthy life today is learning to be emotionally resilient despite obstacles. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy focuses on teaching skills in four main areas; Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Effectiveness.
The workshop series I created teaches DBT informed skills through videos, activities, and discussion and can be modified to fit different age levels.
Please note that this workshop does not take the place of traditional DBT therapy and is not therapy. However, the skills learned during this workshop will be helpful in life.
In this workshop series, students will learn the following:
Mindfulness - Being aware of your thoughts and not judging them as good or bad, staying in the present moment and not projecting into the future or reverting to the past, and focusing the mind despite distractions.
Emotion Regulation - Naming and understanding our emotions, decreasing the frequency of unpleasant emotions, decreasing vulnerability to emotions, and decreasing emotional suffering.
Distress Tolerance - Coping with very stressful situations or a crisis, tolerating temporary or long-term pain (physical or emotional), and being aware of our body and situations and ourselves.
Interpersonal effectiveness - learning skills that can improve our relationships - communicating with others, responding to feedback, and dealing with conflict.