Viking Saga: What are the most common challenges students struggle with that you assist?
Cassie Leuchner: I feel like it’s a range. Every student’s different. I have students who struggle with anxiety, depression, stressful events, ADHD, even just academic stress. I know that the seniors’ upcoming life changes are
kind of stressful, so even that is a good topic to bring to therapy.
VS: What types of situations are you best equipped to address and support students through?
CL: I have a lot of training with trauma, so I’m very trauma informed. I can do EMDR therapy, so that works for not only trauma, but it can work for anxiety, depression. I would say I’m very well trained in trauma, but anxiety, depression, and just like stress in general.
VS: How do students typically learn about the service you offer?
CL: That is something we’re working on, actually. I think we’re in the newsletter, so that is a way that families
know about it. And then it’s introduced to families or students by usually their guidance counselor, school social workers, or school psychologist, but I think that’s something we’re still kind of working on. There are some flyers around. Hopefully this [interview] will introduce it a little more.
VS: Can you explain how confidentiality works with a student therapy session?
CL: Well, there’s limits to confidentiality, as there is with everyone that works in the school. We’re all mandated reporters, so we all have to report the same things. If someone tells me that they’re going to hurt themselves, hurt someone else, or someone is hurting them, those are things that I have to report, by law. Other things are kept confidential.
VS: How do you work with the rest of the ELHS mental health staff?
CL: We meet every so often to touch base on students that might be getting referred. They’re my main referral source, so they’re sending kids to me.
VS: What’s a message you would like to get out to all students at ELHS?
CL: I think that a message to get out to everyone would be that everyone needs support at times, and I think
therapy can be kind of scary for people, but it’s just to have extra support. Having a safe adult that you can trust
to tell things to or bounce ideas off of is beneficial for anyone. Anyone can benefit from therapy, whether you think you can or not.
VS: Talk to me about the process of when a student is referred to you.
CL: When a student is referred, their parents complete the enrollment form, which is like the referral form, but usually they’re introduced to it by either a teacher, support staff. After that the parent would complete some paperwork and we’d set up an intake, which is where we do a longer appointment. We do some questions, screenings, we set goals, things like that.
