Mental Health Matters: TeenTalk in Schools – How Counselors Provide a Lifeline for Students
By Shari Shapiro
The other morning, a student walked into a TeenTalk counselor’s office without saying a word. She dropped her backpack, sat down, and stared at the floor. It took a few minutes before the tears came, but when they did, so did the words: “I don’t know who else to talk to.”
That moment is exactly why the Kids In Crisis TeenTalk program exists.
In Fairfield County, we are fortunate to have 18 TeenTalk counselors embedded in elementary, middle, and high schools. They are trained mental health professionals, but to the kids they serve, they’re something simpler: a safe adult who will listen without judgment. Every day, these counselors provide the kind of steady, compassionate presence that can change a student’s entire trajectory.
The Quiet Struggles Teens Carry
If you’ve ever raised or worked with a teenager, you know they often carry more than they show. Academic pressure, friendship drama, family stress, or silent battles with anxiety and depression can all pile up. On the outside, a teen may look fine, but on the inside, they may feel like they’re drowning.
And here’s the thing: most won’t walk into a clinic or call a therapist’s office on their own. But they will stop by the TeenTalk room. They’ll plop down in a chair between classes or catch a counselor in the hallway. That accessibility, woven into the rhythm of the school day, makes all the difference.
Recent studies show that having a counselor embedded in a school setting can lead to remarkable academic and behavioral improvements. Students who regularly utilize a school counselor see, on average, an increase of one full letter grade in their GPA. Among students with chronic absenteeism, inschool counseling is associated with a 34% reduction in absences, and for those struggling with behavioral issues, a 59% decrease in suspensions. These numbers confirm what we see every day: when kids feel supported, they show up more, learn more, and connect more.
A Shared Effort with Families
One of the most powerful parts of TeenTalk is that it doesn’t end when the school bell rings. Often, parents reach out too. Many don’t know where to start when their child is struggling. I’ve spoken with moms and dads who admit they’re scared, scared of saying the wrong thing, or of not being able to fix what feels broken. Our counselors walk alongside them, offering tools, language, and hope.
Most calls to our 24/7 Helpline aren’t from teens themselves; they’re from parents and grandparents. The adults who love these kids are trying their best, and they, too, need a lifeline.
One Caring Adult Can Change a Day
At Kids In Crisis, we often say it just takes one caring adult to change a day. For many students, that adult is a TeenTalk counselor. And sometimes, that one good day is all it takes to start turning things around.
What I’ve Learned from Teens
As someone who has been doing this work for decades, I continue to be humbled by the resilience of young people. I’ve seen students who arrive in despair leave with a plan. I’ve seen kids who felt invisible suddenly light up because someone finally listened. And I’ve seen families come back together, not perfectly, not overnight, but in real, meaningful ways.
It’s a reminder that you don’t have to be perfect to support a teenager. You just have to be present.
What Parents Can Do at Home
So what can you do as a parent, grandparent, or caregiver to support the teens in your life? Here are four simple but powerful practices we encourage:
Ask open-ended questions. Instead of “Did you have a good day?” try “What was the hardest part of your day?” or “Who made you laugh today?” These questions invite more than a one-word answer.
Listen more than you talk. Teens don’t always want solutions; they want to be heard. Resist the urge to jump in right away. Sometimes silence and presence are the best gifts.
Normalize getting help. Remind your teen that talking to a trusted adult, whether it’s a TeenTalk counselor, coach, or family friend, is a sign of strength, not weakness. When that message comes from you, it sticks.
Admit your own mistakes. At the dinner table, share a time you struggled, what you learned, and how you moved forward. Teens benefit from seeing that adults don’t have it all figured out either and that resilience comes from facing challenges, not avoiding them.
Hope in Every Conversation
The truth is, we can’t remove every stressor from a teenager’s life. We can’t prevent every heartbreak or erase every fear. But we can make sure they never face those struggles alone.
That’s the gift of TeenTalk: a steady hand in the school hallway, a safe room where emotions are welcome, and a bridge between students, families, and community support.
As parents and caregivers, we can strengthen that lifeline at home by modeling openness ourselves, showing that struggles are part of life and that growth comes from talking about them honestly. When our kids see us admit mistakes and move forward, they learn that they can too.
If you’re reading this and wondering if your teen, or any child in your life, might need someone to talk to, know that help is always available. Our Kids In Crisis 24/7 Helpline is open every day, every hour, at 203-661-1911.
One phone call, one conversation, one moment of connection, that can be the lifeline a teen needs. And sometimes, that’s enough to help them breathe again.
Shari L. Shapiro is the Executive Director of Kids In Crisis
