Counselling

Our friendly and professional school nurse, counsellor and wellbeing officer support students who are suffering from emotional difficulties at our school. These may be caused by many things, adapting to changes, events in the family such as divorce or bereavement, problems in relationships with relatives or friends, and academic pressure such as exam stress, to name but a few.

We offer:

• One-to-one emergency meetings with the wellbeing officer
• Weekly one-to-one sessions – short or long term with the school nurse
• Drop-in and emergency walk in sessions with the school nurse
• Consultation for parents, guardians and school staff

What is counselling?
Counselling is having someone to talk to and feeling safe to speak your mind, knowing that you will be listened to without being judged, even if the feelings are difficult ones such as anger or hate. It is about having the time to find solutions to your own problems and explore your own feelings so that you can learn efficiently and live happily.

What happens at a one-to-one session?
One-to-one sessions with the school nurse or counsellor usually last about 30 minutes. The point is that students can talk about how they feel but they often do other things as well, such as drawing, writing, playing games. Sessions take place in the medical room on Tuesdays between 12-2PM. They are a great way to get quick support. Students don’t need an appointment – they can just turn up and when the school nurse is free she will invite them in for a chat. Students may like to do this from time to time or we may add them to our waiting list for longer term counselling if that is what they need. In this instance, parents will be contacted and asked for their permission for the counselling to commence.

How many sessions can one have?
Everyone is different. Some students may only need to come once or twice, some may benefit from a longer term plan. When you are referred to the service you will have a chat with the counsellor and they will make a recommendation.

Is counselling confidential?
What students discuss within the sessions is confidential. However, if the counsellor believes that there is any danger to a student or anyone else, they must pass it on to the school’s Safeguarding Lead. On occasion the counsellor may also discuss a case with their supervisor to make sure they are offering the best possible service but the supervisor will also keep this confidential.

Mental health is equally important as physical health and we work closely with school’s pastoral & teaching staff to ensure the right kind of support is put in place.