Hi my name is Amy Bucker, and I am honored to be Saint Michael’s Director of Social and Emotional Learning and Personal Counselor! With a Master’s Degree from Saint Mary’s College of California in Marriage and Family Therapy, I have had elaborate training in working with children and families. Being a therapist has always been my dream career and I love that I get to live out my dream at Saint Michael. 

I provide a supportive, nonjudgmental, and empathetic space for students to discuss persistent thoughts and feelings that are impacting them either at school and/or at home. The therapeutic modality I use with children is play therapy, as it is proven by research to be effective in working with school-aged children. Play therapy includes using different toys, games, and crafts to aid in a child’s expression of emotion. You can think of play therapy as being the same as adults sitting to talk out their feelings, it’s just play is the child’s way of communicating their feelings! I use play therapy techniques along with other therapeutic modalities in individual counseling sessions and classroom presentations. While individual sessions are specifically directed at benefiting one student, classroom presentations are designed to teach the whole class different techniques/ideas that can be applied at school, such as: academic success strategies, how to form healthy friendships, and how to practice mindfulness. Finally, “Lunch Bunch” groups are designed for positive relationship and friendship building. A lunch bunch involves open communication and positive interaction amongst peers as well as a fun, interactive activity. Lunch Bunch is a great way to repair friendships, make new friends, and gain a sense of belonging. 

As your Director of Social Emotional Learning and Personal Counselor, I would love to support your family. Please feel free to reach out to me at  [email protected]. Thank you and God Bless.