An Emphasis on Emotional Growth
The Auldern Academy Counseling Services Department is designed to assist students in their quest for confidence, emotional health and relational healing. The program is staffed by Masters-level therapists who provide support through individual and group counseling and specialty workshops including stress-management, body image, coping skills, decision-making, relationships and anger management. Upon admission, students are partnered with therapists and are encouraged to explore personal and familial concerns that may previously have presented obstacles to success.Young women need a safe and nurturing environment to explore emotional and familial issues – this is a part of the transition into adulthood. It is the goal of the Counseling Services Department of this therapeutic boarding school to provide students with a relaxed, comfortable, low-pressure environment for talking and listening, and to work toward fostering the skills and character required for successful college matriculation and independence.
Counseling Services Staff
Vito Guarnaccia, Ph.D., Consulting Clinical Director - Dr. Guarnaccia has worked for the past 30 years with adolescents and families in private practice and has also served as a Consulting Psychologist with several schools. He holds a Ph.D. in Clinical School Psychology from Hofstra University. He received his Master of Science in Clinical School Psychology from City University of New York. He is a Licensed Psychologist in both North Carolina and New York, and holds several other certifications.
Julius Jessup, M.S. - Julius received his Master of Science in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University and his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Educational Studies from Emory University. He came to Auldern Academy from Carlbrook School where he was an Advisor. He has previously worked as a Clinical Intern at the Center on Interventions for Children and Families in Cleveland, OH and as an Individual and Family Counselor at the National Counseling Group in Richmond, VA. Julius was the recipient of the Kenneth Cole Fellowship for Community Building and Social Change and the Delores P. Aldridge Excellence Award in Community Service.
Natalie Sisson, M.S.W. - Natalie holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Georgia. She recieved her Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from Illinois State University. A member of the National Association for Social Workers, she has previously worked with adolescents as an Advisor for Carlbrook School, was a therapist at Peace Place and a counselor at Chestnut Health Systems in Virginia.
Nicole Barillari, M.S. - Nicole received her Master of Science in Counselor Education and Human Services from Canisius College in New York where she had also completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. She has worked in Educational settings as a middle school counselor, an after school coordinator and teacher's assistant, as well as working for Hospice of Raleigh as a grief counselor. She has volunteered as a Total Youth Ministry counselor for high school aged teens in Raleigh.
Amy Berent, M.A. - Amy holds a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology from the Michigan School of Professional Psychology. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Education at Prescott College in Arizona. She has work experience in both educational and wilderness settings. She was the Clinical Director and Field Therapist at Blackwater Outdoor Experiences. She has worked as a clinical psychotherapist and a Montessori teacher.