Senior Project Profile: Kate Hansen

Kate Hansen: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Elementary School
Working alongside guidance counselors at the Tisbury School, Kate is developing a curriculum for elementary students employs elements of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).

How did you choose your project? Throughout middle and high school, I struggled with anxiety and severe depression. I was eventually hospitalized at a treatment center that specialized in treating mental illness by the use of DBT skills. While I was there, I was shocked by how little some of the other patient’s knew about communicating with others effectively and coping with their emotions. While I had trouble managing my own emotions, I never had a problem communicating with adults and peers respectfully and effectively. This realization made me wonder just how many other children and adolescents had difficulty caring for and expressing themselves. From then on, I was interested in teaching others about these skills. I felt children would be the best candidates for these skills in the hope that they would utilize them to cope with their emotions instead of suppressing them and ignoring them until it was no longer possible. I didn’t want anybody else to ever have get to the point I did before asking for help.

Who was your advisor? My advisor was Aly Weisner, the guidance elementary counselor at Tisbury School. My in-house mentor was Amy Lilavois.

What are your plans for after graduation? Did your senior project influence that decision? After graduation I plan on working as an EMT and lifeguard for the summer before going to school in the fall at UVM.  I plan on majoring in biochemistry with a sociology/psychology minor. My senior project has made me realize just how much I love working with kids.

What challenge(s) did you face? I didn’t face too many challenges other than scheduling the classes around vacations and the girls schedule.