Counseling

Therapeutic counseling is one of three essential components of The Family Foundation School program. Our way of integrating counseling with academics and the 12 Steps creates a rich therapeutic milieu in which virtually all interactions and exchanges among and between staff and students are in some way therapeutic. We have found an integrated approach to be the most successful in producing lasting behavioral and emotional changes in the troubled teens we serve.

In counseling our students, we combine a variety of therapeutic styles, leaning heavily on cognitive restructuring and other cognitive behavioral techniques. Students learn that their feelings and behaviors are primarily the result of the way they think, not of external factors like people, situations, or events. By changing the way they perceive a difficult situation, they are able to respond differently, even if the situation does not actually change.

Our therapeutic approach has been successful with a full range of students-those who struggle with ADHD, ODD, mood disorders, as well as those with addictive behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, sexual promiscuity, computer and internet use, cutting, and bulimia.

In counseling parents and families of students, we rely on a therapeutic combination of family systems theory and the self-help approach developed by Families Anonymous.

Counseling Department

Mark P. Vogel, PhD Psychologist - Director of Counseling

Myrl Manley, MD, Psychiatrist

Jeffrey S. Brain, MA, CTS (Certified Trauma Specialist), CEP (Certified Education Planner)

Susan J. Runge, LCSW-R, SSW

Marcia Ertola, MSEd, LCMHC

Mary Burkart, MSW

Sephiratu Wahab, MSW

Richard Reeve, MALS, Candidate C.G. Jung Institute

Panagiotis (Peter) Carvelas, LMSW