Join the club

"Thanks for signing me up for that club Mom!"-- a direct quote from J when he got home from school today.  I wracked my mind for a few seconds before asking him, "what club?"
"The one at school... with the nice lady and I get to play games with some of the other kids in the club... ya know?  The one you signed me up for!"
Ahhh, he had his first session with the school councilor today!  And he loved it, whew!   I have been in talks with his teacher and principal for a few weeks about setting him up with some regular sessions with the school councilor to help him adjust to school better.
J still has some "J attacks" from time to time.  I guess I would describe them as the 5 year old version of a panic attack.  It's what happens when he lets his anxieties and his nerves take over.  He loses himself in his fears.. just like his Mom :/     Once he gets to a certain point of anxiety, there's no turning back.  He can't calm himself down.  He goes immediately into "flight" mode.  . as opposed to "fight" mode.  Once J's mind decides he is not comfortable with any given situation, he goes into hyper drive.  He cannot bring himself down from the hysteria that he creates.  I'm not going to get into detail about his behaviors, I'll just leave it off that he needs an ally at school.
Enter Ms V., the school councilor.
I had to make a whole bunch of appointments with the teacher, the principal, etc etc etc in order to get J a set appointment for a "regularly scheduled session" with the school councilor... NYC budgets being what they are, after all. (heart you, politicians. >:/  )   He was finally approved, and so he got to go to the councilor for the first time this week.
Ms V is not a therapist.  She's a councilor.  She's there for the kids if and when they need her.  If something comes up and the students need a non-teacher grown up to talk to, she's the guy.  She also has group sessions with select kids (now including my J) to help them acclimate to school, and to talk about their personal situations.: divorce, peer issues, etc   J came home SO happy to have had his first session.
He doesn't know that he is there because he is considered "at risk".  He just knows that he gets to go with Ms V, play UNO and talk all about himself!   I couldn't be more excited for him.  He needs this. He needs another ally.  He needs to feel like he is a big part of a very special club.  And now he does, and now he is.  And now we continue to slowly but surely move in the right direction of healing.