Meet our Wellness Counselors

Peninsula High School offers students the unique privilege of a mental health therapist available on campus. The mental health therapist’s role is designed to support students and their families in effectively addressing various social and emotional concerns that may arise during school.  This is in addition to supporting all our students as full rounded individuals whose needs might be outside of strictly academic guidance.

 

Students can utilize services on their own and may also be referred by teachers, guidance counselors, parents, assistant principals, staff, and friends.

 

The Peninsula High School Mental Health Therapist is a full time advocate on campus who works to support students through assessments of needs, works with faculty and parents to resolve problems, mediates between students, connects students and families to resources on and off campus and provides a safe place to discuss and process concerns. In addition, several volunteer mental health and PPS trainees will be placed on the school site to assist students as needed. Ultimately, students are best supported toward academic success through the utilization of this role.  In order for students to take advantage of this program, please sign the consent form and have your student return it to the school.

 

Our Mental Health Therapist, Lara L. Montoya, MS, LMFT/Wellness Counselor has many years of experience supporting youth and families in clinical and educational settings.  In addition to crisis support, she provides our students with short-term, solutions focused therapy to help navigate the myriad struggles they face.

 

Hilda Villanueva, MS, LMFT/Wellness Counselor is a bilingual and bicultural therapist with almost 20 years of direct clinical experience in community mental health, educational, juvenile justice and other settings. She has worked with children, youth, families and adults providing individual and family counseling, and extensive case management. She strives to provide students with a nurturing and supportive environment and acceptance as they are.