Jessica Saadian, staff writer
The Maple Counseling at the NormanAid Center provides several services that are all confidential, including individual counseling for adolescents, parent-child programs and tutoring.
Counseling may help students to have self-confidence and cope with their issues. Confidentiality allows teenagers to open up about their dilemmas without a fear of counselors revealing their issue. Students can stop by the NormanAid Center, in room 288, to seek help from a counselor that is best suited for them.
“Counseling can help you learn to better articulate your feelings, to feel better about yourself and what you have to offer, or help you to become the person you want to be,” the brochure for Maple counseling states.
Peer Counseling and Maple Counseling have a similar program. Maple Counseling provides mostly the same type of counseling for students, but if students are uncomfortable talking to someone their own age, they are welcome to speak with an experienced adult at the the Maple Counseling Center.
“Maple counselors come from the Maple Counseling Center, a separate entity from the school. The biggest difference between the two programs [Peer and Maple Counseling] is that Maple Counselors are not student-aged, as Peer Counselors are. The Maple Center is also open during the summer, while Peer Counseling closes with the end of the school year,” Intervention Counselor Alison Norman-Franks said.
Any teenager under the age of 18 can come to Maple Counseling to talk about any of their issues. If adolescents wish to continue to attend more than one meeting, a parent must approve that their child is allowed to go to additional meetings.
In addition to individual counseling, teenagers may bring their parents to therapy sessions, as well. The parenting program allows both the parent and child to openly discuss their issues and enhance their conversations. The student and parent go to the meeting once a week for an hour and a half and reflect on their child’s behavior.
“Maple Counselors are working as therapists for the Center, and are at varying levels of higher education. Beverly students must receive post-high school education before becoming Maple Counselor,” Norman-Franks said.
Students can talk about even the smallest issues they have as venting about dilemmas has the possibility of limiting anxiety or depression. Students have the opportunity to take advantage of the program provided by the school district and the Maple Counseling Center.
In addition, tutoring is also available for students who have trouble with their academic classes. A fee will be charged, but scholarships are available.
Walk-ins are always welcome and after Norman-Franks, or another member of Maple Counseling, has a chance to get a vibe of the student’s situation, a member of Maple Counseling will pair up the best fit for the student.