Aug. 12, 2020

Dear New & Old Chatham Hall Families,

I welcome you to our Chatham Hall campus with the warmest of greetings for the 2020-2021 school year. Excitement fills the air and hustle and bustle abounds as we gear up to soon, and safely, be together again. We’ve missed you! 

Whether as an introduction or a reminder, I wanted to take this opportunity to review the school counseling services available to you. Stay tuned for the release of our 2020-2021 Community Handbook which will provide more information and can be used as a reference throughout the school year. 

For students living on campus during periods of on-campus instruction, I provide individual counseling sessions and check-ins at no additional cost. These are arranged most frequently through email and scheduled during a student’s free period. However, walk-ins are welcome! If my office door is closed, please stop by another time or send me an email, as I’m likely in session or on the phone. 

I can also provide the contact information of local therapists available in the area; some of whom are available for telecounseling sessions. Please contact these providers directly for fees and health insurance information. A room in the Health Care Center will be provided for any telecounseling or telepsych appointments for a quiet and private space for your daughter to engage openly.

For students who are not living on campus and during periods of distance instruction, I provide brief counseling check-ins for students via Zoom video conferencing. These are shorter in duration and are not considered psychotherapy. If it’s determined that psychotherapy services are needed, I’m here to assist you in finding a local treatment provider in your city or state. 

Note that telehealth services are not a fully secure mode of communication and caution should be used to protect your privacy and confidentiality. Telehealth sessions should take place in a quiet and private room, free of distractions, noise, and other people. Other technological devices should be put away and turned off.

Counseling can be helpful for a number of concerns and to make progress in such areas as:
  • Transitions and homesickness
  • Managing roommate differences/conflicts
  • Stress and anxiety management
  • Navigating interpersonal relationships
  • Learning to distinguish healthy vs. unhealthy relationship dynamics
  • Learning to assert healthy boundaries 
  • Loss and grief
  • Assertiveness and social skill development
  • Depression and low mood

The information a student shares in the counseling session is kept confidential except in situations in which the welfare of the school community or a student’s health or safety is at risk and/or there is a legal or ethical obligation to share. In such cases, information is shared on a "need-to-know" basis. This could include the student’s parents, Advisor, and/or members of the Administrative Leadership Team. 

Check out our Homesickness Prevention & Management Tips for things you can do now to help make your daughter’s transition to boarding school a smoother one and to mitigate homesickness throughout her early weeks on campus. Other psychoeducational resources and opportunities will be provided during the year. 

Parents, please reach out if you have concerns about your daughter’s mental and emotional health. I can be reached during the school day at (434) 432-5537 or jgrosskriever@chathamhall.org to arrange a time to speak.

I’ll be hosting Office Hours specifically for new parents on the following days and times to check in and to answer any questions you might have:

  • Friday, Aug. 28, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
  • Monday, Aug. 31, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

*Please email to arrange an appointment by phone or Zoom during these hours.

I wish you all the best as we commence the 2020-2021 school year. As with any school year, there will be ups and downs, things that are familiar to us, and things that are new and will require some adjustment. I believe in you and in our resilience as a community.

Let me know if I can offer any help along the way!

Jenneil Gross-Kriever, LCSW 
Director of Counseling Services