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Counseling Resources

The school counselors are a vital part of Potomac’s educational team. By promoting wellness through healthy choices and balance, the counseling department nurtures and supports each student’s academic, emotional, and social success at school. We help students handle the demands of life by learning to manage their emotions, develop relationship skills, appreciate diversity, make decisions, and foster resiliency.

Support of students and families begins with the classroom teacher or advisor; problems of school life often are solved at that level. Beyond the classroom, the school counselors and the school nurse are available to all students to assist with social, emotional, and behavioral support, with the goal of helping students be successful at school.

Our counseling program is developmental in nature, based on the premise that students at different stages face a variety of challenges. To combat these challenges the counseling team provides developmentally focused and culturally competent services, curriculum, and comprehensive programs. The Potomac School does not offer ongoing psychotherapy on campus or virtually. The counselors will not diagnose or offer ongoing treatment for any specific mental health disorders. Meeting with a counselor is not intended to be a substitute for psychotherapy with a licensed mental health practitioner. Our goal is to support and advocate for students, families, faculty, and staff, and partner with community stakeholders.

On a day to day basis, student support includes:

  • Mental health & wellness lessons and activities (conflict resolution, cultural competence, stress management, identity, social skills support, self-advocacy)
  • Individual and group support
  • Assemblies and programs (consent, mental health, substance abuse, human sexuality)
  • Lunch bunches (small group lunch meetings)
  • Sponsoring club/leadership groups
  • Be an advocate for student needs Provide referrals to community-based support systems
  • Crisis management and intervention

Faculty/Staff/Administration support includes:

  • Collaborate and consult with faculty and administration to provide resources to support our students
  • Participate in grade-level conversations
  • Collaborate to address topics related to school climate and culture Members of interdisciplinary committees and working groups Class visits and student observations
  • Student support meetings in LS, MS, IS & US Participate in new faculty orientation Facilitate professional development training and workshops
  • Collaboration with outside providers Serve as key members of the school Crisis Management Team

“There are times as a parent when you realize that your job is not to be the parent you always imagined you'd be, the parent you always wished you had. Your job is to be the parent your child needs, given the particulars of his or her own life and nature.”Ayelet Waldman, novelist

Counseling Team Resources

EXPLORE MORE

Academics News DEI 

Our Team

Allison Lewkowicz
Grades K-4 Counselor

Weezie Parry
Grades 5-8 Counselor

Paul Singleton II
Grades 7-12 School Counselor and DEI Coordinator 

Josie Woods
Upper School Counselor and Director of Student Support

If you are concerned about a Potomac student, our school counselors are a helpful resource. The counselors’ priority is to make sure that each student receives the support they need and deserve. While appropriately addressing information shared, the counseling team will make every effort to keep reporters’ names confidential.

Privacy and Confidentiality:

“Confidentiality” is a term used in school counseling that refers to a student’s right to privacy. The school counselors keep what they discuss with students confidential with certain exceptions, following the ethical standards provided by the American School Counselor Association. 

ASCA Guidelines