Local parent coach and child therapist Leigh Ellen Magness presented “Introducing New Skills and Teaching a Growth Mindset” for Athens Academy parents on Tuesday, January 24, at the Farmer Field House on the school’s campus.

This presentation, which focused on helping children build skills they have not developed yet with positive guidance from parents, is the second in a series Magness has created specifically for Athens Academy parents. The third and final workshop, “Reducing Power Struggles and Teaching Emotional Regulation,” is scheduled for Tuesday, April 6.

Leigh Ellen Magness is the co-founder of Athens Center for Counseling and Play Therapy and Athens Therapy Co-op. She has been a child therapist for more than fifteen years, first in a non-profit setting and then in private practice. As a registered play therapist, she continues to see child clients in her private practice and has also developed a parent coaching practice, The Inherent Parent Coach, to share what she has learned from her personal and professional experience. She provides individual parent coaching sessions as well as e-courses on various child-related topics.

Social-emotional learning is an important part of the Athens Academy curriculum and is an integral part of the school’s strategic plan. Counselors work with students from K3-12 on issues such as friendship, anxiety, body image, wellness, mental health, and more.