Group Counseling

The therapeutic milieu of the school can't help but change the emotional and social functioning of students, which in turn changes their behavior. Students develop and strengthen their ability to be absolutely honest and accountable as they listen to, relate to, and encourage one another throughout the school day, in individual counseling sessions, at mealtime, and in special support groups.

Table Topics

Peer group counseling as it is practiced at The Family Foundation School includes daily "table topics" during most lunches and dinners, in which the day-to-day behavior and progress of a student is reviewed by staff and students in their FFS house.

Table topics are extremely helpful to students working to change their behavior. They provide an opportunity to give and receive feedback on their struggles, and to experience both the rewards and consequences of their actions. The group helps produce behavioral changes, and helps students change their thinking about behavior-an important step in their recovery.

Table topics also:

• demonstrate that one's actions have consequences
• allow students to reflect on their own behavior and motivations
• teach students to take inventory and to provide and receive constructive feedback
• show students how to use the Steps to manage and improve their lives
• help students develop self-management skills using behavioral principles
• solidify and support behavioral changes as students prepare to leave

Special Support Groups

Many students participate in one of several support groups that deal with the specific issues of adoption, anger, eating disorders, social anxiety, and grief. Students may be recommended for a support group after their initial diagnostic evaluation, or later by their FFS family leaders or house counselor.

ANGER MANAGEMENT GROUP
Facilitator: Jeff Brain, MA, CTS, CEP
Developed for students with a history of difficulty managing their anger, this education and support group uses a copyrighted multi-media curriculum designed by Jeff. The group is given information, instruction and strategies for managing anger, and support one another through shared experiences.

SOCIAL ANXIETY GROUP
Facilitator: Marcia Ertola, MSEd
Friendship Factor is a cognitive-behavioral group for students who experience social anxiety. The group discusses causes of social anxiety such as genetics, family environment and difficult life experiences, and explores ways to manage it including in-session exposure, cognitive restructuring (challenging one's beliefs), homework assignments and social skills training. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves within their respective houses, as well as in the broader school atmosphere.

GRIEF GROUP
Facilitator: Jeff Brain, MA, CTS
This group offers support for students who have suffered the loss of a parent, grandparent, sibling or other loved one. The group works through the stages of grief and ultimately assists the student in accepting the loss and moving on.

ADOPTION GROUP
Facilitator: Carlton Williams
Students in this group discuss adoption triggers and core issues for all family members, regardless of the circumstances of the adoption or the characteristics of the participants. Core issues discussed are loss, rejection, identity and intimacy. The similarities among adopted students generate good dialogue within the group. It is not the intent of the group to question adoption, but to challenge some of its assumptions.

EATING DISORDER GROUP
Facilitator: Marcia Ertola, MSEd
This is a weekly counseling session that utilizes a cognitive behavioral approach as students discuss body and eating issues, negative automatic thoughts, memories, perceptions, emotions, and cognitive events that lead to their disordered eating. The group uses media, meditation exercises, and written assignments to reframe and 'reprogram' cognitive distortions related to eating and body image.

12-Step Meetings

The school's therapeutic milieu, in which counseling and the 12 Steps are well integrated, is an environment especially beneficial to those students recovering from drug, alcohol or food addiction. While all students learn to apply the principles of the 12 Steps to their lives, recovering addicts can attend weekly A.A. meetings on and off campus, and on-campus O.A. (Overeaters Anonymous) and E.A. (Emotions Anonymous) meetings for additional 12- Step support.