School Counselling

School counsellors and play therapists work individually with pupils in schools.

The Society’s School Counselling service offers professional and confidential support to young people experiencing personal difficulties. It was set up in 1986 and now offers support to Roman Catholic and State schools within the Westminster Diocesan boundary. It aims to serve the best interests of the child within the framework of good practice and childcare law.

Society Counsellors as ‘Added Value’ to Schools

• Our qualified counsellors and play therapists complement the pastoral care system.
• They provide an independent, safe, trusting and non-judgemental environment where pupils can talk freely, in confidence, about their problems.
• Pupils are referred by teachers or can self-refer.
• Teacher and parent liaison is maintained (within the bounds of confidentiality).
• We offer one-to-one sessions, group work or student/family sessions.
• We refer children with serious behavioural or emotional problems to specialist services.
• We have experience of dealing with issues that affect the whole school community.
• We can respond quickly and flexibly to provide emergency advice or counselling facilities, as required.
• We can offer specialist services in line with the governments Behaviour Improvement Programme.

Who can benefit from counselling?

Our experience shows that children of all ages and from all social and religious backgrounds use our counselling services. For children who may feel uncomfortable in revealing their problems to teachers, family or friends, counselling provides them with an opportunity to discuss uncertainties, unhappiness and dilemmas with a trusted adult, in confidence. We aim to help children find solutions to resolve their problems and to ease the emotional burdens that may be affecting their classwork, their behaviour and happiness.

Problems commonly dealt with include:

• Bullying
• Loss/bereavement
• Parental illness
• Separation/divorce
• Low self-esteem
• Truancy
• Alcoholism/drug abuse
• Family and peer relationships
• Academic pressures
• Teenage pregnancy
• Sexual and Physical abuse

Our service is confidential. However, where instances of emotional, physical or sexual abuse and neglect are disclosed, our counsellors will liaise with the appropriate child welfare professionals and the police.

Setting up a Service:

If your school is interested in setting up a service, contracts can be drawn up setting out the aims and objectives of the service as well as operational guidelines. Counsellors are available on a day rate similar to that of a supply teacher. Crisis intervention services are also available.

To contact our School Counselling Team Co-ordinator, click here.