Emotionally Preparing for School - For Kids! will be offered Thursday, Aug. 30, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 33900 W. 13 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills.

Sponsored by Together for Accelerated Learners (TAL) and the Farmington PTA Council, the workshops for kids in grades 5-12 address:

• What kinds of fears and worries teenagers and pre-teens have in starting school
• How to identify and work through those fears
• How to use their personal strengths and previous successes to find confidence in themselves in new situations

The workshop for grades K-4 will deal with feelings and anxieties associated with the start of school, as well as ideas to make the beginning of school a little easier.

Guest speakers will be social worker Melissa Aldrich, and marriage family therapist Stephanie Carbajal.

Carbajal is a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in working with children and adolescents. She received her bachelor’s degree from Utah State University in family and human development and her master's
degree from The University of Connecticut in marriage and family therapy.

While being in practice for the past 5 years, she has done extensive specialized training in play therapy and expressive therapies for children and adolescents.
She feels very passionately that children and adolescents can be empowered to find creative and meaningful solutions to life's particular challenges through self discovery and expression. She is currently in practice at Northville Counseling Center and LDS Family Services.

Aldrich is a social worker and has been the “feelings teacher” at Hillside Elementary for two years. She loves working with children and helping them succeed. She is currently on family leave to take care of her new baby.

Parents are welcome, too. Please visit www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0C4BA8AC23A64-emotionally/1157960 to RSVP.