School-Based Therapy

Students spend a significant portion of their day at school, making the school environment an important place to recognize emotional and behavioral concerns and connect young people with appropriate support.

At Alliance Wellness Solutions, our School-Based Therapy program, led by Phillip Kendall, LCSW, is designed to make quality mental health services more accessible to students by bringing therapeutic support directly into the school community.

Through partnerships with middle schools and high schools throughout Baltimore City and Baltimore County, Alliance works collaboratively with students, families, school personnel, and community partners to support students’ emotional wellness and success.

Why Is School-Based Therapy Important?

For many families, accessing traditional outpatient mental health services can be difficult. Transportation, parents’ work schedules, appointment availability, financial concerns, and competing family responsibilities can delay or interrupt treatment.

School-based therapy helps reduce some of these barriers by allowing students to receive mental health support in an environment that is already part of their daily routine.

Early access to mental health services can also help identify concerns before they become more disruptive to a student’s academic performance, relationships, attendance, behavior, or overall well-being.

Supporting the Whole Student

Academic success and emotional wellness are closely connected. A student experiencing significant anxiety, depression, trauma, family difficulties, ADHD, bullying, or other emotional challenges may have difficulty concentrating, completing assignments, attending school consistently, or engaging with peers and teachers.

School-based therapists can help students better understand what they are experiencing while developing practical strategies for managing challenges both inside and outside of the classroom.

Therapy may address concerns such as:

• Anxiety and excessive worry
• Depression and low mood
• ADHD and executive-functioning difficulties
• Academic stress and performance pressure
• Peer and relationship concerns
• Bullying and social difficulties
• Low self-esteem and confidence
• Anger and emotional regulation
• Grief and loss
• Family changes and conflict
• Trauma and stressful life experiences
• School avoidance
• Adjustment to middle or high school
• Healthy coping and problem-solving skills
• Life transitions and preparation for adulthood

Meeting Students Where They Are

One of the greatest advantages of school-based therapy is accessibility.

Instead of requiring every student to travel to a traditional outpatient office, mental health support can be integrated into the student’s school experience. This can make it easier for students to attend appointments consistently and can help normalize conversations about mental health.

For students who may initially feel uncomfortable seeking therapy, having a trusted mental health professional available within the school community can make asking for help feel more approachable.

Early Intervention Matters

Emotional and behavioral concerns do not always begin as a crisis.

Changes in grades, attendance, friendships, motivation, behavior, sleep, or classroom participation can sometimes indicate that a student is struggling.

School-based therapy creates additional opportunities to recognize concerns earlier and connect students with appropriate support. When more intensive services are needed, the therapist can work with the student, family, and appropriate treatment professionals to help coordinate the next level of care.

Building Skills That Extend Beyond the Classroom

Therapy isn’t only about addressing symptoms. It can also help students develop skills they can carry into college, employment, relationships, and adulthood.

Students may work on:

• Communication
• Emotional Regulation
• Stress Management
• Problem Solving
• Healthy Boundaries
• Self-Advocacy
• Coping Skills
• Confidence
• Organization
• Resilience

The goal is to help students better understand themselves, navigate challenges, and develop healthier strategies for managing life’s demands.

Collaboration With Families & Schools

Effective school-based mental health care requires collaboration while maintaining appropriate clinical boundaries and student confidentiality.

With appropriate consent and authorization, Alliance can work with parents and guardians, school counselors, teachers, administrators, and other members of the student’s support system when coordination would benefit the student’s care.

Parents and guardians remain important partners in the treatment process, particularly when supporting younger students and reinforcing therapeutic strategies outside of school.

Confidentiality & Student Safety

Students deserve a therapeutic environment where they can speak openly and feel respected.

School-based therapy is provided in accordance with applicable confidentiality, consent, privacy, and professional requirements. Students and families are informed about the limits of confidentiality, including circumstances involving concerns for the student’s safety or the safety of others.

When safety concerns arise, Alliance clinicians follow established clinical and emergency procedures to ensure that students receive appropriate intervention and support.