For school counselors
For the student who can't get through the door
School avoidance rarely breaks down at 10am in your office. It breaks down at 7:15, in the driveway. I've been an exposure coach for years, and I work with students ages 12 and up on exactly that: planning small, doable steps back toward school and doing them with the student, live, in our sessions.
The gap
Therapy has a waitlist. The morning doesn't.
A student who is refusing school often waits months for an evaluation, then meets a therapist for one hour a week. Meanwhile the hard part happens every single morning, at home, with an exhausted parent and no plan. That gap is where I work.
What I actually do
During the week
- Build a step-by-step plan back toward the building with the student
- Practice the steps together in session, and in real time on hard mornings
- Coach parents to stop accommodating the avoidance
- Weekday messaging when a student is stuck in the moment
Who it fits
Ages 12+
- School avoidance and refusal
- OCD, social anxiety, perfectionism
- Specific phobias and everyday avoidance
- Students who know what to do and still can't do it alone
Alongside, not instead
Therapist involved
- Students work with a therapist as well as me, and I will help a family find one
- I don't diagnose or write treatment plans
- I coordinate with you so school responses stay consistent
- Everyone pulls in the same direction
Role & scope
Clear lines, on purpose
I'm a coach, not a clinician. That distinction matters to you, because it tells you what I can be relied on for and what still needs someone else.
What I do
Behavior and follow-through
- Plan and practice exposures with the student
- Accountability and troubleshooting between sessions
- Parent coaching on responding to avoidance, including a dedicated parent session in every program
- Build tolerance for uncertainty and distress through repeated practice
- Coordination with school staff, with written consent
What I don't do
Still needs a clinician
- I don't diagnose or treat mental health conditions
- I don't provide therapy or clinical assessment
- I don't manage medication
- I don't provide crisis or emergency care
Being straight with you
What to tell a family
- It's private pay. Coaching is not a healthcare service and is not billable to insurance. I'd rather you know that before you mention me to a family, so nobody's time gets wasted.
- It starts with a free consultation. A phone or video call, no pressure. If I'm not the right fit, I'll say so and point them elsewhere.
- A therapist is part of the picture. Coaching supports treatment, it doesn't substitute for it, so almost every student I work with has a therapist too. If a family isn't connected to one yet, send them anyway. I keep a list of clinicians in Maine and New Hampshire who are taking new people, and I'd rather help than turn someone away at the door.
- The family has to be in it. Exposure work with teens stalls when accommodation continues at home, so a parent needs to be willing to participate.
- It's virtual, with limited in-person availability in Maine.
- Consent comes first. I won't contact you about a student until the family has given written authorization.
Referrals
Have a student in mind, or just want to talk?
You don't need a specific student to reach out. If it's useful to know what I do before you need it, I'm glad to have that conversation. And I'll always be honest about whether I'm the right support.
hannah@newday.coach · Based in Maine