Address:
2401 SE Stark Street
Portland, OR 97214
Directions

Phone: (503) 235-3138

Fax: (503) 233-0073

COUNSELING

The Central Catholic High School Counseling Department works to meet the educational and personal needs of our students. We encourage all students to grow spiritually, academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. Our five counselors, (four personal and one college) work together in a team approach to address students' needs.

The Counseling Department offers a wide range of guidance and counseling services both academic and personal. Many services extend throughout the four years of high school while some services are specific to each grade level. Students are assigned a personal counselor alphabetically by their last name. It is a goal that students remain with the same counselor throughout their time at Central Catholic to help develop an ongoing relationship between student and counselor as well as provide consistent support to the student.

Announcements from the Counseling Office

SUMMER PROGRAMS

Looking for something interesting to do this summer? We have compiled a list of programs in TCCi Family Connection under "about college." Materials on some of the programs can be found in the College Counseling Office. Many of these programs are expensive but most offer limited grants and tuition breaks. Central Catholic is providing this information as it is received to its students and families as a service and cannot endorse or verify claims made in the information. The student assumes responsibility for the value of the experience. We are still working on updating this data and have indicated which programs have been updated thus far.

Molly Reuscher, M.S. Gannon University, B.A. University of Notre Dame started at Central Catholic in 1996. She has prior experience working in community mental health agencies and as a high school English teacher. Molly is currently Department Chair for the Counseling Department and co-moderator of the Ski/Snow board club.

Chuck Blickle, M.A. Gonzaga, B.A. Gonzaga started with the Search Program in 1982 and became full time counselor a few years later at Central Catholic. He is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). Prior to his time at Central Catholic he worked in residential treatment, mental health services and at a local crisis line. Chuck currently serves as trainer/moderator for the Peer Mediators.

Melissa Stupfel, M.Ed. Lewis and Clark College , B.A. University of Oregon started at Central Catholic in the fall of 2001. She is a Licensed School Counselor (LSC). Prior to Central Catholic she worked in prevention programs in local middle and high schools. Melissa is an alumna of Central Catholic.

Teri Calcagno, B.S. Oregon State University started at Central Catholic the fall of 1991. She is serving as the Past-President of the Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling (PNACAC). She is the moderator of the Diversity Club. Teri is an alumna of Central Catholic.

Megan Bruce, MSW University of Washington, BA College of Wooster.  Started as a full time counselor at Central Catholic in 2007.  She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with experience in a variety of mental health settings.  In addition to her work at Central she has a small mental health practice in NE Portland.  She helps out with Friends of the Earth and Diversity Club.

Tips and Advice

Be sure to check out these PowerPoint presentations.

Test Taking Tips

Organizational Skills

The Students' 10 Commandments

May Parent Newsletter College Counseling InsertsPlease see pages 11-18 in the May Parent Newsletter for the Junior and Senior inserts.

Parent's Association March Presentation PowerPoint

Struggles & Solutions

May Newsletter Counselor Corner Article.

Last month we talked with you about how to stay involved and maintain high academic

expectations of your child, especially now as we head towards summer. Naturally, high expectations for your child should reach beyond the classroom. With the arrival of good weather and a waning school year, our students often challenge us with the choices they make regarding their social life.

As students get older and more time is spent with friends, the importance of these relationships often supersedes that of the family. For many teens this is a problem free transition. For others, their social choices can be problematic. Guiding and teaching your children on how to be social, have fun, party safely and be a true friend to their peers are all critical lessons to be taught.

As your child gets older their actions have more serious repercussions. They have graduated from breaking the cookie jar to possibly crashing the car. An “out of sight-out of mind” attitude or “experimentation is natural” attitude on our part as adults can result in tragedy. Alcohol/chemical use and sexual intimacy need to be discussed. Our students are bombarded by a culture that trivializes relationships and promotes chemical use. We urge you to establish clear guidelines and expectations regarding your child’s social activities. Be the voice of reason. Set concrete boundaries with logical consequences so they will know when they are crossing the line. Set time aside for discussion and reflection. Heated discussions at 7:45 am as you drop your child off at school are not productive.  Allow for process time. 

Four basic rules to follow when setting up behavioral expectations for your child:

• Know what they’re doing, where they will be and who they are with.

• Communicate with other parents.

• Discuss the deeper issues with your child: moral beliefs and your values. Set firm and clear behavioral expectations based on those beliefs.

• When your child steps over the line, allow your child to experience the consequences and do not allow for “bargaining”.

Remember that parenting is a tough job at best and that the counselors at Central Catholic are always available as a resource to you.