Destigmatizing therapy for students

Show Notes

• 00:46
  Destigmatizing therapy for children

  Despite a lingering stigma, therapy is increasingly being recognized as a valuable resource for childrens mental health. Its essentially a guided conversation with a professional, and children are the most influential in encouraging other kids to take advantage of therapy.
• 01:40
  Emotionally supporting students and families

  Freire Schools prioritize the emotional well-being of students and their families, providing affordable therapy services within the school system. Through partnerships with local universities, family therapists in training offer one-on-one therapy to students and their families.
• 03:44
  Freires therapy program and university partnerships

  Alphonse Pignataro, a Co-Founder and certified family therapist, established partnerships with universities. Using a hierarchical system, family therapists in training administer therapy to students and are supervised by certified family therapists.
• 05:17
  Confidentiality and safeguarding student privacy

  While there are cases, such as legal situations, where access is requested to students therapy notes, Freire generally denies this access. This approach is taken to build trust and maintain a confidential, safe space for students, protecting what theyve shared.
• 06:48
  Addressing community issues through group therapy

  When gender and sexuality are addressed in group therapy, sessions more commonly tackle adverse childhood experiences like parental incarceration, drug abuse, etc. These are the prevalent issues in their community in Philadelphia, more so than gender and sexuality.
• 08:29
  Fostering resilience through therapy

  27% of students at Freire Schools have experienced four or more adverse childhood experiences by ninth grade. However, through both group and individual therapy, Freire has been able to help their kids build resilience.
• 09:21
  Widespread student participation in therapy

  About 28% of Freires students have experience adverse childhood experiences before high school. But approximately 30% of students are getting support from one of Freires therapists on any given day.
• 10:07
  Making therapy accessible for all students

  Therapy sessions are offered throughout the school day, during lunch periods, after school, and offsite to accommodate student preferences and privacy concerns. The schools physical design includes small meeting rooms to provide dedicated therapy spaces.
• 11:50
  Prioritizing childrens emotional well being in schools

  As a parents, its crucial to ensure that your childs school fosters an environment where its safe to discuss both academic and social-emotional needs openly. Look for schools that prioritize holistic well-being and provide support for students facing emotional challenges.
• 14:19
  Indicators of an emotionally supportive school environment

  When school leaders are comfortable identifying their shortcoming or areas for improvement within the school, these are strong indicators. Ultimately, these are signals that students can also be honest about the issues they are facing in their own lives.