Social Emotional Support
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:40)
Meet Our Diocesan School Adjustment Counselor, Cynthia Roche
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, students are reporting a demonstrated increase in anxiety, depression, self-esteem, self-regulation, and general social and emotional needs. The recent pandemic has exacerbated these issues and include social skills as well as academics.
While most of the elementary Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fall River have at least a part time counselor on site, there is a need to bridge the gap to offer more than what individual schools can provide, in addition to offering extra support during a crisis or if there is a sudden increase in need. Cynthia also supports teachers with any individual social or emotional needs as the current environment has been very challenging for educators in general.
Cynthia previously was a school counselor at St. Philomena (Pre-K – grade 8) in Portsmouth, RI for 25 years and has a Master’s degree in school counseling from Providence College. Cynthia is married and has three grown sons. She and her husband, John, belong to St. Barnabas Parish in Portsmouth, RI.