At ACS we believe that our students have a God-given desire to connect within their community. We believe that students need to know that they count; that they are significant and their voice matters. When these two are strong, it leads to feeling competent: a greater sense of confidence in their ability to achieve their best (i.e. academically, spiritually, physically, emotionally, and socially).

“When I count, when I connect, I am confident, and this leads to competence!”

Our goal is to foster this holistic development in each ACS student, thus maximizing their achievement. Counselling support is therefore available for students struggling with anxiety, depression, and/or stressors related to family, school, and friends.

Meet our Personal Counsellor

Marvin Bravo, MA, RCC

Marvin Bravo is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors. He has over 10 years of counselling experience working in a variety of settings including the hospital (Fraser Health Crisis response), Child and Youth Mental Health (with the Ministry of Children and Family) as well as his own private practice.

He is a skilled counsellor with strong ethical principles and he greatly values the opportunity to journey with youth through their story of pain and suffering. He is trained in several modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotion Focus Family Therapy, Existential Analysis, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and trauma processing therapies (which include Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and Observed Experiential Integration).

QUESTIONS?

Majority of students who seek counselling prefer an individual one-on-one approach with the counsellor. Counselling may also be done in a group setting, or with the student and a trusted adult (such as a teacher or other support staff).

A student requiring support may self-refer through our intake page. Student referral can also be initiated by a family member, or by any ACS staff. Students can also make referrals in person by visiting Mrs. Jo Smith in the Student Learning Centre. Students may be asked to fill out a consent form.

Following a referral for counselling, student will be required to meet with Mr. Bravo to determine the level of support the student needs. Any of the following recommendations can be made after this initial meeting:

  •  Maximum of 6-8 individual counselling sessions with Mr. Bravo to address the presenting problem
  •  Family counselling
  • A school based team approach to address the relevant challenges. This will involve sharing pertinent information with the appropriate school staff so as to maximize student support.
  • Follow-up with an external agency for long-term support.

Note: counselling sessions often take place within the office however some students find it more helpful to meet with the counsellor outside of the SLC. Do not hesitate to let Mr. Bravo know about your meeting preference.

To schedule an appointment please contact Mrs. Jo Smith.

If you happen to miss your appointment, please stop by the SLC or email Mrs. Smith to have it rescheduled.

You may re-refer to the counselling program after if you require additional support after you have completed your allotted number of sessions. You will, however, be wait-listed if there are other students waiting for support.

HELPFUL LINKS

Coming soon

SLC SERVICES