Jamie Lee Johnson has been NHS’ psychologist for almost six years and only a handful of students really know who she is.

     Johnson said she wanted to be a psychologist in high school. As she grew up and started studying psychology she found out that she loves figuring out how people do things, why people do things and figuring out how people’s brains are different.

     “I’ve always found how other people work very interesting.” Johnson said.

     Claire Foster is a NHS sophomore who knows Johnson personally, and considers her to be almost like family. Foster met Johnson through Foster’s mom, who babysat her kids for almost three years, and became family friends.

          “I feel like a lot of the students might not know what she does at the school, but I feel like she really does make a difference here at NHS,” Foster said. 

     “I think we should all appreciate the things she does for us. She puts a lot of time into what she does and she really loves what she does.”

     This September, Johnson is planning on starting a support group for students with anxiety. Johnson said that her job is to diagnose disabilities, and that within the past couple of years, she has worked with many students who do not qualify for extra services from the school.

     “They [NHS students] are little stress balls, and they need something,” Johnson said.  “I just feel like I can do this for them.”

     The support group is scheduled to go on for six weeks while rotating through groups of students. Johnson also decided that she’ll have some group meetings around Christmas. She also hopes to have a group around spring for finals.

     Alison Rootes, a sophomore at NHS, says she thinks that the support group will be very helpful for kids who don’t really know how to handle their feelings.

     “Students [who] get placed with other students who have the same problem might open up more because they realize that they aren’t the only one’s suffering,” Rootes said.

     Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States. 30 percent of the adults in North America has an anxiety disorder. Out of all 30 percent, only one third will try to get help, and Johnson said it’s her  job to help the ones in need.

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