Please join us in welcoming our first School Counselor, Liza Tierney! Liza joined The NAN Project in September 2022. She is bringing over 20 years of experience working with students to connect with students and staff in classrooms we visit. Erica, our College Coordinator, interviewed Liza for our School Counselor Spotlight!
Erica: Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Liza: I grew up in a small town in Connecticut with a very large family. I’m the youngest of eight children! In high school I decided to attend UMass Lowell, with the first plan to be a music teacher. That plan changed and I shifted my focus to studying psychology. Besides learning about how people think, and playing clarinet in a ska band, I met my husband there and never left Massachusetts. We live in a small town in the central area of the state with our teenage son and young Australian Cattle dog. I enjoy playing indoor and outdoor games, being on a weekly trivia team, kickboxing, and going to see live music.
Erica: Does the School Counselor position at The NAN Project fit into your personal goals?
Liza: The idea of being a school counselor was appealing to me so long ago, as it gave me the opportunity to be the school support that I didn’t always have but definitely needed. When I began my career in the field, the shift of what a guidance counselor’s role was began to change, and it fueled my passion in supporting youth through so many things; not just college and career readiness, but also through social and emotional health. It’s why the title and role of ‘School Counselor’ is important to me. Though I’ve stepped away from the traditional role of being a school counselor in a school setting, I love that I can still utilize my skills, just in another way. I am still able to support youth in the areas of social and emotional health, and in fact, do so in a more focused way.
Erica: What strategies do you employ in managing your own mental health?
Liza: My strategies are forever changing and evolving. Listening or creating music has always been a constant strategy for me, but I find my music choices change and I’ll never be able to answer the age old question, ‘What’s your favorite band/musician/type of music?’ Within the last year I have found that listening to Sleep Stories on the Calm app have been tremendously helpful at bedtime. During other parts of my day, I find coloring, finding new fidgets to try out, or snuggling my dog, Fiona, helps me mentally. I also have learned the proper people to reach out to depending on my need. Certain family members, friends, and professionals are those I rely on when I’m managing my mental health.
Erica: What has been notable in the presentations to students in the classroom?
Liza: When our Peer Mentors share their Comeback Stories, students are more engaged than ever. It’s one thing to have adults talk to or with students about mental health, which I recognize is helpful, but it is a whole other thing to have a young person share relatable experiences and feelings to the students. I love when students feel comfortable asking questions specifically to our Peer Mentors, as it shows the impact they have, their stories have, over the students’ interest in learning more about mental health. There is also one type of question that students tend to bring up, and it is one that I dealt with a lot while working in schools: ‘What do I do if my friend that I’m worried about doesn’t want me to say anything?’ I feel that socially this worry about breaking a friend’s trust is so common with youth, and I love our message we answer back with that is ‘It’s hard to be in that situation and though not easy, being a good friend means you involve a trusted adult to help no matter what.’
Erica: How do you like to spend your free time?
Liza: Going to concerts – big or small, near or far – really makes me happy! There is an indescribable positive vibe I experience from the instruments, vocalists, the crowd, and the whole ambiance of live music. This past summer I went to three major shows in MA! For one of those shows I took my son to his first concert. It was a special time for me!. I also like to play cards, cribbage is a big fav in my house. Outside, you can find me getting slightly competitive in badminton and cornhole. 
A few years ago, some friends asked me to join their kickboxing class. Though I felt intimidated at first, I learned to embrace that feeling, and I feel very comfortable in it now. Punching and kicking a bag or paddles helps me let loose a bit, all the weight and strength training that comes along with it has helped my physical and mental health tremendously, but most importantly I’ve gained new friendships with people that hold a similar interest in being active.
Erica: What do you hope for in your future?
I hope to continue to educate and inspire people, young and old, in the area of mental health. I live by this ‘rule’ and I often say that, in life you have choices, you may not always like them, but you have them; there are few exceptions to this. Now, let’s talk about the consequences of those choices. I hope that by doing this work, I can help spread that message far and wide.
We are so grateful to have Liza on our team and appreciate her thoughtful insight about youth mental health and how we can work with school counselors to make a difference!