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Family Service Rochester provides school-based mental health services for children and teens in Rochester and Southeastern Minnesota.
Your kid is struggling at school. You can see it. Their teacher can see it. And you're trying to figure out what to do next.
Family Service Rochester places licensed therapists directly inside schools — so getting your child real support doesn't mean another appointment to schedule, another place to drive, or convincing an anxious kid to walk into a stranger's office.
Our school-based therapists are licensed mental health professionals doing real clinical work. Most of our team is trained in EMDR and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) — two of the most effective evidence-based approaches available for children and adolescents dealing with anxiety, trauma, depression, and difficult behavior.
They're not generalists. They're skilled clinicians who chose to work with kids and families. That matters.
Typically, your child will meet with their therapist once a week during the school day, for a full therapy session — pulled from a non-core part of their schedule so they're not missing math or reading. Sometimes more support is needed, sometimes less. The therapist will work with you to figure out what makes sense for your child.
There's something we believe deeply: the child can't be the most skillful person in the room. When a child is struggling, the most powerful changes happen when the whole family grows together. Our therapists don't just work with your child — they work with you.
Most families add a monthly family session alongside their child's weekly appointments. Those sessions can happen at school, at your home, or by telehealth — whatever works for your family. Your therapist will stay in regular contact with you throughout: a touch base every month or two, and a formal review of your child's treatment progress and plan every six months.
Everyone your child relies on at school disappears in summer. Our therapists don't. FSR school-based therapists are available year-round — keeping momentum going through summer and making sure your child walks into fall with a therapist who already knows them.
Starting over with a new therapist in September is hard. Starting the school year already connected to someone who knows your child, their history, and what they've been working on — that's a real advantage.
Transitions are hard. A new building, new teachers, new social dynamics — all at once. If your child is moving up to middle or high school next fall, summer is the ideal time to get connected with an FSR therapist who will be right there when school starts.
In Rochester, FSR has a therapist at Dakota Middle School. In all of our other districts — Kenyon-Wanamingo, Plainview-Elgin-Milleville, Lake City, Cannon Falls, and Kasson-Mantorville — we serve all buildings in the district, including middle and high schools. For many of these communities, FSR is the only mental health provider available nearby. We take that seriously.
Getting started is straightforward. Here's how it works:
Fill out the school-based inquiry form below: just your name, your child's school, a way to reach you, and a little about what's going on. Nothing clinical. No wrong answers.
If you're ready to skip ahead, you can go directly to our forms page and complete the intake paperwork yourself. Scroll to School-Based Intake. (If you go this route, skip to Step 3. We'll receive your paperwork and your therapist will reach out directly.)
It includes basic information about your child and an authorization for us to connect with the school. That release is important — it lets us learn your child's schedule and work with their teachers to find the right time for sessions, so therapy fits into the school day without disrupting what matters.
Once paperwork is complete, your assigned therapist contacts you directly to let you know when they can get started. In most cases that's quickly. Occasionally there is a wait, and we'll always be upfront with you about that.
Your therapist starts by meeting with you as the parent — to understand your child's history and what you're seeing at home. They'll connect with the school to get their perspective. Then they meet with your child. By the time therapy begins in earnest, your therapist already has a full picture.
We accept all major insurance and offer a sliding fee scale — because cost shouldn't be the reason your child doesn't get support.
Not sure if this is the right fit? Reach out. We'll figure it out together.
For more information or to request an appointment please call us at 507-287-2010 or contact us by email.
Training/Certifications: Approved Board of Social work and Board of Behavioral Health & Therapy Clinical Supervisor; Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Clinical Supervision, DC: 0-5 Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Development Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (MN DHS), Dare to Lead
Special interests/Skills: trauma-informed care, adjustment through the lifespan, recovery from illness or medical trauma, people with history of brain injury, people who have been involved with the criminal justice system, and supporting healthy sexuality and identity. She enjoys working with children, older adults, and everyone in between.
Training/Certifications: Approved Board of Social Work and Board of Behavioral Health & Therapy Clinical Supervisor; DC: 0-5 Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Development Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (MN DHS), MN BOSW Approved Supervisor
Special interests/Skills: Adult and adolescent mental health issues; Co-occurring disorders; Cognitive behavior therapy
Training/Certifications: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Strengths-Based, Solution-Focused Therapy; Family Systems Work;
Special interests/Skills: Latino/Latina/Latinx, BIPOC populations, Supporting School-Aged Children’s Mental Health; LGBTQ+ Identities
My Pronouns are: she/ella
Elyse is pursuing licensure as a Licensed Independent Social Worker
Training and Certification: DC: 0-5 Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Development Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (MN DHS), DBT Skills
Special Interest/Skills: Focused on Client-Centered therapy interventions including; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Interventions, Crisis Response, Trauma Informed approaches, de-escalation skills; previous background of co-facilitating outpatient chemical dependency treatments, facilitation of substance use support groups, and certified as a volunteer crisis advocate.
My pronouns are: she/her/hers
Travis is currently pursuing licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor.
Training/Certifications: Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Special interests/Skills: Adolescents and Young Adults; Art Therapy; CBT; and, Trauma Informed Therapy.
Training/Certifications: Systemic Family Therapy, EMDR
Special interests/Skills: Family systems, children and adolescent mental health, trauma treatment.
Taylar is pursuing licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor.
Training and Certification: Trauma and Crisis Master's program.
Special Interest/Skills: providing a calm, nonjudgmental space where individuals feel safe to explore, heal, and thrive. My areas of interests include Children and Adolescent Mental Health, Play and Art Therapy, Trauma-Informed approaches, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Interventions.
My pronouns are: she/her/hers
RJ is pursing independent licensure in Social Work.
Training/Certifications: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Special interests/Skills: Adolescents and young adult mental health.
My pronouns are: she/her/hers
Libbie is pursing licensure as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Trainings/Certifications: Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSE); Trauma-Informed Care, Family Systems Work; Strengths-Based Solution-Focused Therapy; Somatic-Based Therapy; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) interventions
Special interests/skills: LGBTQ+ Identity support; culturally collaborative care; 0-5 aged children’s mental health and academic support; Grief and Loss Interventions; Play Therapy
Adejoke is pursuing licensure as an Independent Clinical Social Worker
Trainings/Certifications: Licensed Graduate Social Worker, Motivational Interviewing, Person Centered and Strength Based Approach, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Informed Practice, Solution Focused Brief Therapy Approach, Play Therapy, Art Therapy
Special Interests/Skills: Passionate about meeting others where they are at while utilizing person-centered and strength-based approach, facilitating safe environment with cultural awareness, and supporting others in a compassionate and non-judgmental manners.
My Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Emily is pursing licensure as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Training/Certifications: Trauma-informed Master’s Program
Specialized interests/Skills: Supporting School-aged Children’s Mental Health; Internal Family Systems Therapy; Play Therapy; Body-Mind Connection; Person-centered and Strengths Based Approach; Trauma-Informed Practice; Cultural Awareness and Intelligence; Co-occurring Disorders
My pronouns are: she/her/hers
Training/Certifications: Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) 2023, DC: 0-5 Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Development Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (MN DHS); Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT); Attachment Regulation Competency Therapy; Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills; Solution Focus Therapy; Art Therapy and Play Therapy; Somatic Based Therapy
Special interests/Skills: Complex Trauma Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Personality Disorders, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Adult Mental Health
My pronouns are: she/her/hers
I am pursuing my license as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker.
Training/Certifications: Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Crisis Intervention
Special Interests/Skills: I am dedicated to empowering individuals by creating a positive, safe, and supportive environment. My interests are Play & Art Therapy, Trauma-Informed Care, Children and Adolescent Mental Health, Gerontology, Strengths-Based Approach, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Grief and Loss Support, and Cognitive Behavior Therapy
My pronouns are: she/her/hers
Marley is pursuing licensure as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Training/Certifications: IV-E Child Welfare Scholar; DC: 0-5 Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Development Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (MN DHS); EMDR; TF-CBT; Bounce Back
Special interests/Skills: Child and adolescent mental health issues; Family Therapy; Trauma
