By Taylor Conley

   Although teenagers sometimes face mental health challenges, their struggles have been compounded by the ongoing pandemic. 

   These struggles show the need to prioritize mental health, and Tempe Prep’s new Assistant Social/Behavioral Counselor, Mrs. Andrea Bitter, is excited to help teens.

   Mrs. Bitter has a bachelor’s degree in Marriage and Family Counseling with emphasis in Human Resources from Brigham Young University-Idaho. She grew up in California and later moved to Massachusetts, where she raised her children with her husband. 

   Since then, she has lived in Arizona for 10 years. After her more-than 20-year professional career as a bookkeeper, solving financial problems and presenting information, Mrs. Bitter said that she felt a lack of interaction with others, which is very meaningful to her. This led her to consider becoming a counselor.

   At one point in her life, Mrs. Bitter said that she found herself working in a place where a lot of the women around her felt isolated in their own lives. She said, “Whether they were housewives or career women, they didn’t know how they could connect with other people to find that external support.” 

   This information inspired Mrs. Bitter to go back to school and get a degree in counseling, where she knew she would be able to help people. At TPA, she said she wants to form a community-focused mentality among students, where everybody works together for the benefit of all. 

   “I would love to see [students] know that your strength comes from within – that you don’t need external validation to know how strong you are and how important you are,” she said.

   In her free time, Mrs. Bitter said that she loves to read medical studies and murder mysteries. She also enjoys crocheting, knitting and cooking.

   Mrs. Bitter understands the toll the pandemic has taken on young people in terms of isolation and anxiety. She said that counselors like her “help you resolve that isolation and come back into the real world, and understand that there is a larger picture and a future for you beyond any things that you might feel are holding you back.” Mrs. Bitter encourages anyone struggling to come by the Odyssey Student Center to see when she is available or email her at abitter@tempeprep.org.