Counseling Information

Services Defined

Counseling Services are available to youth, ages 11 to 18, and their families who reside in Norwalk. Referrals for counseling come from various sources, including:
The department also provides appropriate referrals for services that may become evident as part of our ongoing assessment process. Common issues addressed in counseling are school behavioral and performance issues, parent-youth conflict, depression, substance abuse, bullying issues, and anger management.

Hours & Regulations


Our hours for counseling services are generally between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, but some accommodation may be made for services outside of these hours based on clinician availability. Families are asked to contact the department directly to provide brief intake information and to schedule an initial intake session.

A parent is required to attend an intake session with the referred youth and must sign a consent for services to be provided. Youth may be seen alone without parental consent for up to six sessions.

Staff Qualifications


Department clinicians all hold master’s degrees in social work, counseling, or family therapy. Most of our clinicians are licensed. The department may employ master’s candidates from time to time as part of our clinical training affiliation with Fairfield University. Currently we do not have bilingual or psychiatric services available.

School Programs


The department also runs some programs directly at the schools. For instance, a decision making group (focused on substance abuse) is run each week at Norwalk High School, and a “Better Choices” program (focused on anger management) is run each week at Brien McMahon High School.