Christine Bixman
Counselor
Bio
Mrs. Bixman is a 2007 graduate from West Virginia University. She has a BA in Psychology and a MA in Counseling. Mrs. Bixman was a school counselor for 5 years in Bethesda, Maryland before returning home to Parkersburg and is a 2001 graduate of Parkersburg Catholic High School. She has been the counselor at Vandy since 2012 and is the 2022 WV Middle School Counselor of the Year.
Mission
The mission of Van Devender’s Professional School Counselor is to provide a comprehensive developmental counseling program for all students’ 6th-8th. Professional School Counselors provide equitable access to maximize academic achievement, to foster personal and emotional growth, and to facilitate career development in partnership with parents, guardians and all members of the school community. We are key stakeholders in a collaborative effort to provide a safe and supportive environment academically, physically and emotionally. Advocacy, leadership, collaboration, and systemic change are the framework of the Van Devender School Counseling Program. My mission is to inspire all students to develop their individual potential to become life-long learners who are college and career ready citizens in our diverse and changing world.
Additional Roles
As a school counselor I offer individual counseling, small group counseling, lunch bunches, and support groups (for example my LGBTQIA+ group). I am also the co-coordinator for SAT and 504. Students and parents can make a web-based referral any time of day to alert me that I need to see a student. The link is attached. I can also link families and students with therapeutic counseling services if more long-term issues arise.
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