The Wellness Center works with the Counseling Department to coordinate and expand physical and mental health support services for students. We are located on the second floor of the new P-building on the Gunn campus. Find us in P-231.
To reach our team email us at gunnwellnessteam@pausd.org or call us at 650-354-8214
A safe, supportive on-campus space
Brief on-campus therapy for students
Students can access support for depression, grief, self-esteem, family life, stress, dating violence, sexual identity, and health needs
Referrals to further resources both on and off campus
Students can speak with a Wellness and Counseling Team Member by filling out this form. Our staff will respond as soon as possible. Requests submitted outside of school hours will not be checked until the next school day. We are also available by email and Schoology on regularly scheduled school days Monday-Friday, 8:30am-3:30pm.
Note: If you are concerned about the immediate health and safety of yourself and someone else, please call 911.
I am entering my 10th year serving the mental health needs of Gunn students and currently in my third year as the Mental Health & Wellness Coordinator. I started my journey at Gunn in the 2013-2014 school-year as a therapist-intern with Adolescent Counseling Services, then transitioned to the Site Clinical Supervisor for CASSY from 2017 through 2021. I bring years of experience in adolescent mental health and a deep understanding of the Palo Alto community and culture. I have extensive experience in crisis intervention and suicide prevention work. I use this insight and knowledge to tailor mental health services to best suit our students’ needs and meet them (and their families) where they are at. My priorities are prevention, early intervention, and normalizing conversations about mental health.
My favorite forms of self-care are running, Pilates, gardening, and being a dog mom to my huskies!
I am a Texas native, and what I miss most are the wildflower fields and the Texas sunset.
If I could live anywhere else in the world it would be Valencia, Spain, where some of my family members reside, or anywhere in New England!
My “guilt-free” pleasure is extra buttery popcorn mixed with Doritos and Parmesan cheese
Rosie Castillo-Cabanas, She/Her
Wellness Outreach Specialist
I am in my fourth year of serving students at Gunn. As an outreach worker, I bring awareness to issues of mental health and coordinate events to promote the health and wellbeing of all students.
My favorite form of self-care is spending time with family! It is time that fills me with genuine happiness and something I have always seen as important. Our favorite thing to do is karaoke so I think that's another great form of self-care.
I was born and raised in San Jose. I love being from San Jose because of all the great food, people, and having my family close
If I could have one dessert for the rest of my life it would be ice cream! My main weakness is vanilla milkshakes from Baskin Robbins or Cold Stone- I think they're magic!
Dani Warren,AMFT She/Her
Mental Health and Wellness Associate
My name is Danielle but everyone calls me Dani! I'm the new Mental Health & Wellness Associate supporting Gunn High School and am a recent graduate of the University of San Francisco's Counseling & Psychology Master's program. Since 2018 I have been serving as a Student Support Specialist in both Morgan Hill Unified and Eastside Union High School districts where I spent the majority of my time providing resources to McKinney-Vento and Foster students and their families.I hold a degree in Mass Communications and use it to navigate the digital waters of the social media scene. I enjoy being a source of information and have found that the knowledge derived from these outlets, while seemingly “useless”, comes in handy when interacting with my students.A few fun facts about me: I am a self-proclaimed Disnerd, Prince is my muse and I look to him for inspiration every day, I am creative at heart with an eye for detail and I love discussing pop culture and the role it plays in shaping our society.
Paul Hickey,LMFT He/Him
Mental Heath and Wellness Therapist
I am a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) who has been practicing therapy in the schools for 20+ years and is currently in his 2nd year of providing counseling services to Gunn High School students. As A Mental Health Therapist, I use a strength-based approach to help students become aware of their overall strengths and to help them identify and become aware of strengths that have yet to be identified. I help students identify obstacles that may get in the way of helping students identify their strength and their ability to excel in their own personal lives. In addition, I help students in the area of mindfulness and stress reduction in the areas of academics and personal relationships.
A little Information about me:
1.) I enjoy spending weekends at the gym working out, playing Raquetball, and playing and watching sports.
3.) My favorite sports are Baseball, Basketball, and Football. My favorite teams are the Giants, 49ers, and Warriors.
4.) My hobbies include creative writing and art. I am currently working on becoming a published author.
5.) My favorite food is anything that tastes good :)
Brittney Tabel,LCSW She/Her
PAUSD Mental Health and Wellness Therapist
I grew up in Daly City and have worked as a therapist in community mental health, clinic, and school settings. I love getting to use a mix of tools from cognitive behavioral therapy, solutions-focused therapy, and art therapy to help people explore their feelings and cope with challenges.
I am so excited to be joining the team at Gunn and getting to support the students of the community. I am a firm believer in creating a safe space of mental health support that meets each individual where they are at—understanding each person’s experience and journey is unique and tailoring interventions to best support their goals. I am excited to be working with students in developing their emotional skills and supporting insight in their journey of understanding who they are and how they relate to others.
In my free time, I love to paint (my specialty is birds), see live music (I love jazz bands), and explore museums (art, science, and history)!
Students, parents, or staff can email Wellness Center staff at gunnwellnessteam@pausd.org to get more information about referrals. Note: If you are concerned about a student's immediate safety, please call 911.
The following document is a reference guide you may use when you feel like your child may be facing a potential mental health emergency. Below are some safety risk indicators, modified for the distance learning environment, that may lead to major warning signs.
As you use this tool, please look for patterns and an accumulation of symptoms and/or behaviors, in order to figure out best next steps for your child and family. If you believe that your child is an imminent threat to themselves or others, please call 911 immediately or go to the nearest emergency room.
Supporting a friend through crisis and other distress can be challenging and overwhelming when you don't know what to do, who to reach out, or what to say. The Student Safety Guide will hopefully help you and your friends and peers support each other in difficult situations!
CalSCHLS is the oldest (since 1999), largest, most comprehensive state effort in the nation to provide local school-communities with their own data on School Climate, social-emotional and mental Health, and Learning supports and engagement through a Survey system sponsored by the California Department of Education. Henry M. Gunn's Summary Reports:
