Alchemy
We are fortunate and humbled to consult with families on matters of deep concern (what could be more meaningful than making good decisions on behalf of a loved one?). Rarely is this a simple transactional matter, such as providing information in response to a single question. Though we retain specialized…
Teaching, Learning and Life as the River Runs
Once, when consulting with a special educator about a particularly exasperating student, she said, “In any family, there’s always someone who needs more.” She uttered this in such a calm, matter-of-fact way that it struck me. A deep well of wise feeling rose up from her words and instantly seemed…
Phenomenology of the School Search
When it comes to a school, program or college search, clients of course look to education consulting services like ours as a means to optimize outcomes. However, since no such outcome is truly within our control—despite our experience and expertise, we don’t make admissions decisions—we focus on guiding and managing…
Happy Halloween?
I’ve never loved Halloween, yet, if I trace this feeling to its source, it resides near the heart of why so many people love it! Halloween sort of freaks me out, right? I often say, “Life is weird enough, I don’t need to encourage it.” (That’s my little offhand joke.)…
And in the end
“Education consulting” is the service SCG has provided for more than 40 years since Ethna established the firm in 1979. Though our contractual arrangement with our clients is by nature “transactional,” a more relational animating spirit lights our fire. Though all occupations provide a service to mankind, some companies are…
Media, fear and regaining control
Having recently returned to DC after two months in a small Maine town, I am struck by our local list serve which serves up regular helpings of reactivity, fear, and anxiety in seemingly real-time postings of disturbing events and interactions. These postings have the same tone and effect as cable…
Moving on
In June it will have been one year since we moved into our new offices in Bethesda’s Sumner Center, just two miles from our ancestral home on MacArthur where SCG operated for over two decades. Though nearby, the settings could not be more different. Whereas previously we worked out of…
Boundaries and Consequences
Parents are understandably concerned about the best ways to set boundaries and manage consequences. On the one hand, they know their role is to establish structure, safety, and reasonable expectations for their child. On the other, they worry about striking the right balance, in order to maintain flexibility and, most…
Coherence
A true action arises from self-knowledge; wisdom arises out of action. – Rachel Pollack We’ve had plenty of opportunity to sharpen our self-knowledge in the last year or so. As the world slowly recovers and heals from a global pandemic, perhaps we’ll notice how we’ve refined or clarified our priorities…
Staying Grounded in Relationship and Process
At the School Counseling Group, education consulting is grounded in relationship and process, as well as content. Though our clients of course hire us for our seasoned expertise on schools, colleges, and therapeutic programs, how we interact with our clients– the process—is fundamental to the outcome. We show up as…
