For Educational Consultants and Tutors

If you are an independent educational consultant, tutor, learning specialist or college counselor and a student you work with seems to be struggling with more than schoolwork, the most helpful step is usually a short, private conversation with the parents and a specific next step they can take. Blackburn Clinical Services in West Los Angeles offers one-on-one therapy in our office or by secure video (for clients located in California) for teens 13 to 17, family sessions, ADHD and neuropsychological testing, and a more intensive one-on-one option. Families call us directly at (888) 870 7405, and with the family’s written permission we can keep you in the loop.

Who this page is for

• Independent educational consultants who advise families on school fit, placements and transitions
• Subject tutors and executive function coaches who see a student every week, often one-on-one
• Learning specialists and educational therapists in private practice
• Independent college counselors working with high school juniors and seniors

If you work inside a school as a counselor, dean or learning specialist, see our page for school and college counselors, which covers referrals from school staff.

Why independent professionals often notice first

You may see a student more often, and more privately, than any adult at school. A tutor sees how a student handles frustration week after week. A college counselor hears what a student really thinks about the future. A consultant hears how a family talks about pressure at home. That gives you a view that teachers and parents sometimes miss, but you are hired for an academic purpose, so it can feel awkward to say “I think something else is going on.”

You do not have to diagnose anything. Your role is to notice a pattern, describe it to the parents in plain terms, and point them toward someone who can assess it.

Signs that it may be more than academics

• A change, not a trait. A student who used to be engaged now cancels sessions, stops doing assigned work or seems checked out.
• Effort that no longer pays off. More tutoring hours are not moving grades, or the student understands the material in session and falls apart on tests.
• Mood in the room. Frequent tearfulness, irritability, flat affect, or comments such as “What is the point?”
• Sleep and energy. Falling asleep in sessions, working until very late, or mentioning that they cannot sleep.
• Panic and avoidance. Physical symptoms before tests or deadlines, or avoiding essays and applications altogether.
• Signs of substance use. Vaping, smelling of cannabis, or mentions of drinking or using stimulants to study.
• Something said directly. A student tells you they feel hopeless, are hurting themselves or do not want to be alive. That calls for immediate action; see the urgent help section below.

These experiences are common. In the CDC’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 39.7 percent of U.S. high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness (CDC, MMWR 2024). A student who seems to be struggling is not unusual, and early support helps.

How to suggest therapy to a family

• Talk to the parents privately, not at the end of a session in front of the student, and not by text.
• Describe what you see, not a diagnosis. For example: “Over the last month, your son has seemed exhausted and discouraged, and the extra sessions are not helping the way I would expect. I think it would be worth having someone check in on how he is doing overall.”
• Frame it as care, not failure. Many high achieving students benefit from therapy. Suggesting it does not mean the student or the family did something wrong.
• Give a specific next step. A phone number is more useful than general advice. Families can call us at (888) 870 7405, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
• Respect the student’s trust. If a student confided in you, consider telling them you plan to share your concern with their parents, unless doing so would put them at risk.
• Stay in your lane afterward. Keep doing the academic work you were hired for. You can ask the family whether they would like you to be part of the conversation with the therapist.

If the question is whether a student needs tutoring, testing or therapy, our parent guide therapy or tutoring for a struggling student is a useful page to share with families.

How a referral works

• The family calls us at (888) 870 7405. Parents usually make the first call; the teen does not need to be on the line.
• We schedule an assessment with the teen and the parents to understand what is going on and what would help.
• We recommend a plan, which might be one-on-one therapy in our office or by secure video for clients located in California, family sessions, testing, or a combination.
• Sessions happen on weekdays, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, scheduled within those hours around the school day where possible.
• You stay informed only if the family agrees. With the family’s written permission, we can speak with you so that tutoring, coaching or college planning supports what is happening in therapy.

What we can and cannot share with you

Without written permission from the family, we cannot confirm whether a student is a client, even if you made the referral. With written permission, the family decides what we may discuss with you. Families can choose to allow general coordination, such as how to pace a heavy semester, how to approach application deadlines, or how to adjust session structure, while keeping the content of therapy private. We share only what the family authorizes.

What we offer

• One-on-one therapy for teens in our office or by secure video for clients located in California, using approaches such as CBT, DBT, ACT, EMDR and Brainspotting (Brainspotting in our office only) where appropriate, for anxiety, depression, stress, trauma and substance use. See adolescent services.
• Family sessions to help parents and teens talk about pressure, expectations and school without every conversation becoming a fight.
• ADHD and learning evaluations. When a student works hard but focus, reading, writing or test performance keeps falling short, see ADHD and learning evaluations for private school teens.
• More support when needed. The Blackburn Concierge Outpatient Program is an individualized alternative to traditional IOP: one-on-one, no groups, typically 3 to 5 hours a week of focused therapy that flexes with clinical need, for adolescents and adults with substance use or primary mental health concerns.
• Psychiatry. If medication may be part of the picture, psychiatric care can be arranged.
• Documentation for your student’s school when clinically appropriate, with the family’s permission.

For educational consultants managing a transition

If you are helping a family plan a move to a new school, or a teen is coming home from a wilderness program, therapeutic boarding school or residential treatment, outpatient care is easier to set up before the student arrives home. Our page on coming home from residential or wilderness programs explains how we work with families during that step.

When to get urgent help

If a student is in immediate danger, call 911. If a student tells you they are thinking about suicide or hurting themselves, do not keep it confidential: tell the parents right away, and you or the family can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time of day. Adults can call 988 for advice about how to help someone else.

Questions

Can I call you myself before I talk to the family?

Yes. You can call (888) 870 7405, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, to ask general questions about our services and whether we might be a fit. To discuss a specific student, we need the family to contact us and give written permission.

Will you tell me if the family followed through?

Only if the family gives written permission. Without it, we cannot confirm whether a student is a client, including to the person who made the referral.

Do you offer evening or weekend sessions?

No. Our hours are Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, and we schedule within those hours, around the school day where possible.

What if the student needs testing rather than therapy?

We offer comprehensive ADHD and neuropsychological testing in our office, with a written report and a feedback session for the family. An assessment can help sort out whether attention, learning, mood or anxiety is driving the struggle.

Do you work with parents too?

Yes. We offer family sessions, and parents can get guidance of their own on how to support a struggling teen.

Do you offer anything more intensive than weekly therapy?

Yes. The Blackburn Concierge Outpatient Program offers typically 3 to 5 hours a week of one-on-one therapy, with no groups, and flexes with clinical need. It is an individualized alternative to traditional IOP for adolescents and adults.

More for professionals: resources for professionals, therapy for private school students, college admissions stress in teens and how parents can find a therapist for a teen.

Make a referral

You can also email info@blackburnclinical.com or contact us.

Sources

• CDC: Mental Health and Suicide Risk Among High School Students and Protective Factors, Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2023 (MMWR Supplement, 2024)
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline