School counsellors can offer a lifeline

The school counsellor is absolutely central to the general health of the school because they provide pro-active and reactive support
Sylvia Brett, deputy head, Roedean

A report by the Children's Society has revealed that young people are increasingly worried by the recession, which makes the role of school counsellors all the more relevant. Counsellors at some independent schools are seeing an increase in pupils who are concerned about the effects of the recession on their families. As Sylvia Brett, deputy head of Rodean, says, "A lot of our girls are aware of the cost of their education and are feeling greater pressure to succeed, especially at the moment. The school counsellor is there if they want to share these concerns with someone outside their family. These are tough times, but they can also be positive times."

Ofsted rules that all British boarding schools must have a counsellor to advise pupils, within the normal child protection restrictions. For pupils who board, the advantages are clear. But at some schools the counsellor is also there to provide support for day pupils and staff. In current times, it's all the more relevant that children have someone outside the family who they can speak to if they want a fresh perspective, and this is where the counsellor steps in.

"Most parents welcome the idea of a school counsellor; others panic," says Mrs Brett. "I think the school counsellor is absolutely central to the general health of the school because they can provide pro-active and reactive support."

School counsellors have to have the highest credentials. Some may be trained psychotherapists who also have British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) qualifications. Nurses who have attended extensive counselling courses may also become practitioners.

Many counsellors work one or two set days in a school and children can make appointments to see them via a confidential email service. The counsellor will then arrange to meet with them at the school and offer support as long as the pupils feel that they need it. 

Growing pains

Children talk about anything and everything with the counsellor, as Mrs Brett explains: "We see all the usual issues that teenage girls have - relationships, friendships, families, work, pressure, growing up and being a teenager in the 21st century. It's really tough."

With such sensitive subjects on the agenda, how does the school counsellor win the trust of the children? Angela Gisborne (*name has been changed), counsellor at a leading independent boarding school in the Home Counties, explains that it takes time, effort and openness. "At the beginning of the year I go round every house seeing all of the children and I say there are two things that aren't confidential and those are selling drugs and physical or sexual abuse, because I am bound by the Children's Act to report that. Everything else is confidential. So, if they were on drugs and wanted to come off, or were smoking or drinking, I wouldn't have to tell anybody.

"Some children are frightened or think it's not cool to see the counsellor," Mrs Gisborne continues. "There's always this feeling in a school that the counsellor has a label or the chaplain has a label and some children don't want to have anything to do with me. It's surprising how many do, though."

Confidentiality is key

"When I do the inductions a lot of the little boys ask me 'How can we trust you?' and I say 'you just have to try' because I'm promising this how I am. I like the fact that they are quite feisty. They ask very interesting questions and are quite a thoughtful lot."

At most schools, the counsellor works very closely with housemasters and mistresses, the chaplain, the doctor and nurses. At Taunton School in Somerset, one of the nurses is a trained counsellor and the others all have counselling skills. Sue Taylor is in charge of the medical centre and she explains: "Pupils see nurses as trustworthy figures. They know that what happens in the medical centre is confidential and that they can talk about anything they want - things, perhaps, that they can't speak to their parents or house staff about.

"The nurses at Taunton School see pupils with a range of problems, including family difficulties, bereavement and drug and alcohol concerns. They basically unload. We'll work with them over a period of weeks allowing them to explore their feelings and try to come to understand what their problems are," says Mrs Taylor.

Play and art therapy

Talking therapy is just one of the offers that school counsellors make to children and staff. At Roedean, the school counsellor uses a variety of techniques to help, including play therapy and art therapy. "Part of our ethos here is open-mindedness so we don't believe that there has always to be a rigid, one-on-one counselling session," says Mrs Brett. "Our counselling can involve sitting on the floor with some pebbles and using them to represent other people in your lives and how you're feeling about them.

"We've also bought into the local YMCA school counselling service, which offers a huge range of courses under supervision," she continues.

Part of the skill of the counsellor involves knowing when a pupil requires more help than they can offer. As Mrs Brett says, "I'm confident that the counsellors at Roedean are aware of their limitations and therefore would know when to refer.

"If a child needs more help there's a variety of routes. Our school doctor could refer to the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). Alternatively, because of waiting lists, if we wanted to move quicker either the school or the family would pay for private consultation. It depends on the need. If we had a child with, for instance, an eating disorder, we'd look for the right professional to support her."

Using diplomacy

Sometimes problems do need the involvement of parents and housemasters and mistresses. It's at this time that the diplomacy and interpersonal skills of a counsellor are put to the test. For instance, how do you explain to parents that their child, who may have seemed sunny and contented during the holidays, has developed mild depression?

"One has to be enormously careful but straightforward," says Mrs Brett. "Sometimes I will use the image chicken pox of the brain. If you had chicken pox, you'd go to the doctor. If one is suffering from mild depression then it's entirely normal and you have to find someone who can help you. I try to normalise it for the families as much as possible and help them realise, it's not necessarily their fault. That's the inevitable parental reaction."