The Mahwah High School Guidance Department seeks to positively impact the lives of our students by partnering with parents, community, faculty, and staff.  The Guidance Department subscribes to the developmental counseling approach. This means that services are planned, proactive, and preventative. Our program offers comprehensive planning and guidance services addressing student academic and career goals, as well as personal and social needs.  Over the course of the four years in high school, students and counselors will meet individually and in groups to address academic, social, and career options. The primary focus of the counseling program is to help students identify their strengths, needs, interests, and abilities. Through this ongoing developmental process students will effectively learn to define their personal goals and achieve greater self-awareness.

As liaisons among faculty, students, and parents, the guidance counselors help to provide a framework for career exploration that fosters self-direction, personal motivation, and incentive to achieve well in all aspects of life. Helping students to reach their potential is the ultimate goal of the guidance program.

Students may arrange sessions with their counselor simply by signing up for an appointment. More often, counselors will initiate sessions with students on a continuing basis throughout the year to monitor academic progress and personal growth. Since counselors work with their assigned students from grades 9-12, an effective, dynamic relationship can be established to help promote maximum achievement.