Supporting the Emotional Well-Being and Academic Growth of Connecticut Students

For many years, The Learning Consultants has helped students throughout the Connecticut Shoreline not only improve academically but also strengthen their emotional well-being. When I first described our mission, I wrote that our goal was to help children reach their potential. I intentionally left out the word academic. From the beginning, our work has focused on helping young people reach their human potential—emotionally, psychologically, and academically.

As we expanded across Shoreline towns such as Old Saybrook, Madison, Guilford, Essex, and East Lyme, our approach resonated with families because we emphasized two interconnected themes: helping students become both happy and successful.

In the 2000s and most of the 2010s, our distinctiveness came from programs like Student Mastery and Academic Therapy. These were holistic models that combined emotional support, motivation, academic coaching, and tutoring. We were not simply trying to raise grades. We were helping students build confidence, self-direction, and resilience.

We also never subscribed to the idea that emotional well-being and achievement are mutually exclusive. Our goal was not to help children “feel good” while they underperformed. Instead, we helped them feel good by motivating them to care about their work for their own sake—an approach that many parents now describe as refreshingly old-fashioned. Doing your best is a victory, and earning the A often follows naturally. And the truth that every parent and student knows is that success feels good. Doing well leads to feeling well.

In recent years, a new trend has emerged among parents across our local communities: a desire to reduce stress by lowering expectations. While the intention is understandable, the unintended consequence is that some teenagers stop caring altogether. When standards drop too far, students don’t become happier—they become directionless. And that lack of purpose creates its own form of stress.

At The Learning Consultants, we have long advocated for a balanced philosophy: happiness and success. For a time, the culture leaned too heavily toward achievement alone. Today, the pendulum has swung so far toward “who cares?” that many students end up floundering, not flourishing.

The issue is not choosing between happiness or success. Young people thrive when they experience both. That connection—Happiness AND Success—has always been at the core of our work, and it remains as vital as ever for Connecticut families.

If your child needs support in either area, we are here to help.