By Jasely Molina
Every morning, Takia Feliciano’s day begins at 6:15 a.m. Today is Monday. She
showers, gets dressed, eats breakfast, takes her son to daycare and drives for 35-38 minutes until
she reaches her destination: Moores Elementary School. By this time, it is roughly 7:45 a.m.
Feliciano makes her way into her office and turns on her computer to review her notes. Today.
she will be speaking to nine students- her goal is to reach 12. She gathers her stuff, walks out her
office, knocks on the door of the classroom down the hall, greets her first student and waits for
them to follow her out of the room. The teachers already know what she is here for. The student
walks out and follows Takia Feliciano to her office. Walking down the hallway, she asks the
student about their week and how they are feeling. She eases the students and builds a sense of
comfort for them before they begin their 30 minute therapy session together.
Takia Feliciano, a school mental health therapist at Moores Elementary School and
Rouses Point Elementary School, has been working as a school mental therapist for five months
now. Her schedule shifts throughout the week. On Mondays and Tuesdays, she works at Rouses
Point Elementary School until 3:30 p.m. She eats with her students and stays after hours to work
on her student reports. On Wednesdays, she works as a Residential Counselor at 22 U.S. Oval
here in Plattsburgh. Typically, she works with pre-pubescent children adolescents. This also
extends to children from other schools within the district as well as adults that suffer from severe
trauma or mental illness. On Thursdays and Fridays, she works at Mooers Elementary School.
“I decided to use my pain for a purpose,” said Takia Feliciano. Being raised in Queens,
NY with a mother who had mental illness and “dealing with my own trauma and seeking
counseling” motivated Feliciano to help others build self-esteem and communication skills. She
earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from SUNY Plattsburgh. Feliciano then went on
to pursue and attain her Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling. In regards to working
with children, she noted that when she speaks to adults with mental illness, some of the issues
could have been prevented if they had therapy at an earlier age. “I believe that what I am doing is
preventive work. I want to empower [students] and help them develop coping skills that they can
use to deal with stress.” said Takia Feliciano. She feels that she can relate to many of her
students because she has gone through similar scenarios in her life.
“[In the elementary schools] I work in conjunction with the school’s counselor. The school
counselor focuses on classroom behavioral issues. I focus more on the severe trauma cases,” said
Takia Feliciano. Feliciano’s first step in counseling is building a report. During this time, she has
to contact all of the student's’ teachers to receive a synopsis on the student. She then figures out a
suitable time to reach the student- usually during an art or gym class. Once she meets with the
student, she focuses on identifying feelings. “My job is not to give advice. My job is to allow
kids to vent and be the support system they need.” Feliciano uses art therapy as an outlet for her
students. To prevent her student from becoming reserved and believing that she solely wants to
know about the bad things in their life, she will have the student draw the happiest and saddest
moments in their life. Then, they discuss the drawings and Feliciano lets them pick out a piece
of candy or a toy from a box to lift their mood after session. The following sessions consist of
using games to discuss topics such as grief and loss. She plays Jenga with her student; however,
there is a different way and concept to the game. Each Jenga block has number on it. Each
number a question on it. This will get the student to open up on a deep topic. After the
discussion, Feliciano ends the session with a regular game of Monopoly or Sorry. She says that
she uses these games to build communication skills. Many of the children she has worked with
have come from traumatic and abusive backgrounds, dysfunctional families or have experienced
a major loss in the families. According to Feliciano, children that suffer from trauma or mental
illness are crying inside, but act out their emotions. The feeling that the children tend to express
easily is angry. In order to cope, Feliciano gives her students mandala books to color in. As the
sessions progress, she allows the students to play their favorite music. One of her students love
Michael Jackson. Many of the younger girls love to listen to YouTube rapping sensation Matty
B. Sometimes she will dance with her students to set the mood. As Feliciano and the student dive
deeper into the sessions, the type of therapy shifts. After the fifth session, play therapy is
incorporated. Each student will be given dolls to represent their family. One student had a doll
that represented her late father. Feliciano was able to note from play therapy that the girl was
dealing denial because she included her father as though he were still alive. With this, Feliciano
was able to teach the girl about the stages of grief and how to accept that her father’s passing.
One of the hardest things in Feliciano’s career is figuring out what her limits are. As a
mental health therapist, the details of the session are confidential; however, there are laws that
she must abide. Hence, there are moments where she ponders at what should be told to the
student’s family and teachers and what is held in confidentiality. She has also learned to “fake it
until you make it.” This means that she has to push her emotions aside and show positivity.
Some of her students wallow in the depression or stress, but she aims to bring them hope and
push them forward. The way that she approaches this is through motivational interviews.
Motivational Interviews are conversations where she will ask the students thought-provoking
questions that sway them to making rational and positive life decisions. She refrains from forcing
them to do anything that they do not want to do.
Takia Feliciano find her “niche” to be in therapy for trauma and substance abuse patients.
She plans on leaving her jobs at Mooers Elementary School and Rouses Point Elementary School
within a year. Post graduate school, she has worked for PROS (Personalized Recovery Oriented
Services). This program assists patients with mental illnesses build the tools needed to live
independently. She also works as a C.A.S.A.C. (Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
Counselor) in Plattsburgh. Her short term goal is to expand her career and be a mental health
therapist for middle and high school students. Her long term goal is to be able open up her own
practice clinic by the age of 40. In the meantime, she works with children to become a well-
rounded therapist. “I feel so alive when I help others. When I help others, I am healing myself.”
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