Faculty Spotlight: School Counselor & Mindfulness Teacher Meghan Delaney

Meet Meghan Delaney!

Tell us about yourself:

After beginning my career in advertising working for a large newspaper, I quickly began to realize I was meant to live my life in service to others. I decided to go back to school at Drexel University to receive my Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy. I graduated in 2014 and began my career as a family therapist in Philadelphia serving under-resourced and traumatized families. The start of my career really helped me grow, not only as a therapist but as a person. During my time in Philadelphia, I worked in a crisis, outpatient setting at Children's Crisis Treatment Center, and within the school setting. I also currently have a private practice located in Bucks County where I continue to support families and individuals.

What is your philosophy for counseling students in K-8?

What really stood out to me about BFS is the strong focus on honoring the Light within each of us. I have worked with many families who have, for different reasons, lost track of their Light or worse... were not aware of their Light. I have found that as adults, we have many responsibilities and the Light within us can sometimes get shelved. Part of the work I try to do is to walk people back to their Light, reawaken it, and find ways to be more of their authentic selves. What is so special about working in the school setting is that we, as adults, have the ability to nurture that Light within each student while helping them to see it for themselves. I always try to remind myself that children are our teachers. With the work I have done with families so far, the same message continues to be revealed which is that children want to be seen for all of what they are, not what we want them to be. It is not about the doing but that we can be present with them, and allow them to be seen.

I think what is most effective (other than being present, remaining curious, being a good listener, and being accepting), is focusing on supporting students in building their own self-awareness, which begins with understanding their emotional and internal world. Teaching them how to be present within themselves, how to care for themselves, and to understand how they view the world and feel within the world is so important.

What's one thing parents can do to help their kids be happy and well-adjusted in school?

I believe the most important thing a parent can do to help their kids be happy and well-adjusted is to have enough self-awareness to heal themselves. It is not about perfection or not messing up – it is about being curious how the “mess up” helps us to become more evolved. We are here to discover how to become more conscious. The only way to discover how to become more conscious is to see the unconscious. Children are our teachers and will show us every single day the areas where our unconscious mind has not become aware just yet.

What do you love most about being a school counselor?

What is more beautiful than the innocence of a child? I find it so joyful to be around children, but even more so, I feel honored to be able to spend my time with children in a supportive role. Their curious minds show us how to be present rather than being in a constant state of doing.

Tell us what you like to do other than being an amazing school counselor:

When I am not being a school counselor, you can find me working at my private practice, sitting on the beach, walking in the woods, cooking, and spending time with family and close friends. And, of course, I do all of this with my golden retriever, Olive!