Student Counseling

Charlotte Christian School provides personal counselors at each division to nurture relationships with students, support social/emotional learning and foster spiritual growth. Through individual sessions, small groups and classroom lessons, counselors partner with students to navigate challenges, develop healthy coping skills and integrate biblical truth into their daily lives. When long-term counseling is necessary, counselors are prepared to recognize and respond to student needs and assist families in seeking resources.Students today are faced with many opportunities and challenges as they enter a fast-changing world and we want to do everything we can to encourage and empower the health of the whole child.

Counseling by Division

Lower School

In the classroom

In support of social and emotional learning, the lower school utilizes The Zones of Regulation curriculum which gives common language and practical tools to the complex skill of regulation. Students learn at an early age that feelings come in different sizes, intensities and levels of energy which helps them to talk about, think about, and regulate these emotions in ways that support their overall well-being.

Lower School Counselor - Angela Liner

Mrs. Liner received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her master's degree in counseling from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has had experience as a middle and upper school counselor through the years but has found her home in the lower school with Charlotte Christian’s youngest students. She is passionate about walking with parents in these foundational years and working with students on their social and emotional development. She has been a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) since 2008 and finds it a true joy to now serve at her alma mater from the class of 2000.

Recommended Resources

Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous and Independent Children by Reid Wilson and Lynn Lyons
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp
Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp
Are my Kids on Track? The 12 Emotional, Social, Spiritual Milestones Your Child Needs to Reach by Sissy Goff, David Thomas, and Melissa Trevathan

Middle School

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Ephesians 2:1

In the classroom

For middle school, our school counselors have designed a biblically integrated curriculum that emphasizes our core values and seeks to meet social-emotional learning (SEL) standards. Our grade level lessons are designed to meet students at their specific developmental stages, foster a sense of belonging and engagement, and deepen their biblical worldview.

Middle School Counselor - Lauren Duncan

Mrs. Lauren Duncan received her bachelor’s degree in human development family studies from Samford University and her master’s degree in social work from the University of Alabama. She has previous experience as a school counselor at Meyer Preparatory School in Florida assisting students in grades K-8. Prior to that she has counseling experience with non-profits and children working for Doorways for Women and Families and the Sasha Bruce Youthwork.

Middle School Counselor - Lauren Gyorfi

Mrs. Gyorfi received her bachelor's degree in Christian Education and Ministry from Wheaton College, and her Masters Degree in Social Work from Norfolk State University. Her previous experience includes serving in the public school setting as a school social worker, and as a school counselor in a private Christian school setting for grades Pre-K - 12th. Mrs. Gyorfi also has previous counseling experience in the outpatient setting and has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) since 2018. She is honored to walk alongside middle school parents and students during these incredible years of growth and formation.

Recommended Resources

Never Enough by Jennifer B. Wallace
The Whole Brain Child, Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.
Anxious Generation by Dr. Jonathan Haidt

Upper School

In the classroom

Charlotte Christian’s upper school counselors offer a number of services to support and educate students in grades 9-12, while also fostering their spiritual growth. From a Christian perspective and biblical worldview, our counselors meet individually with students and in groups to help support students academically, socially and emotionally. Academically, they help students learn better time management, study skills, problem-solving skills, and create their schedules. Counselors assist students in choosing courses and monitor academic progress. Click here to access our Upper School Curriculum Guide. Socially, they help students navigate friendship issues, provide tools on how to make new friends, and teach basic social skills. Our counselors also provide students emotional support, such as help with managing testing anxiety, teaching them how to understand and regulate their emotions, and navigate any other personal concerns that may arise during the school day. Counselors will also make referrals to families when they feel like a student may benefit from outside counseling. Consultation and resources are offered to teachers and parents, and the upper school’s social and emotional curriculum used in WIN (“What I Need”) labs and advisory lessons are created by the counseling team.

Upper School Counselor - Olivia Day

Mrs. Day has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in counselor education from Florida Atlantic University. She worked for eight years at PACE Center for Girls, Inc. in Florida with experience as a classroom teacher, counselor, guidance counselor and academic manager. Mrs. Day feels it is a true blessing to be able to serve and walk alongside the students at Charlotte Christian. She enjoys seeing how much students evolve from their freshman year, as a young teenager, to their senior year, as a young adult. Mrs. Day sees working with adolescents as a rewarding experience not just because she can help them further develop their academic, social and emotional skills, but also because she can play a part in helping them grow in their faith.

Upper School Counselor - Olivia McCarrick

Ms. McCarrick received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Gordon College and her Master's Degree in School Counseling from Liberty University. Ms. McCarrick always knew she wanted to pursue a career in counseling, and her experience working in Education as a Psychology teacher at Charlotte Christian since 2019 led her to pursue this passion more specifically in the school setting. She is beyond grateful for the opportunity to work alongside students individually to help empower them to become the healthiest versions of themselves physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally during their high school years.

Recommended Resources

Back Door to Your Teen’s Heart by Melissa Trevathan and Sissy Goff
The God I wish I knew in High School by Cameron Cole and Charlotte Getz
Abba’s Child by Brennan Manning
Grit by Angela Duckworth
How Children Succeed by Paul Tough
Brave: A Teen Girl’s Guide to Beating Worry and Anxiety by Sissy Goff