School Counsellor
Counselling
In 2020 the school showed its commitment in supporting the emotional well-being of our students by developing a counselling service within school. This service is an onsite response for those students needing the additional expertise that counselling brings to the overall pastoral support system.
What is Counselling?
Counselling is being able to talk through your thoughts and feelings in a confidential setting.
It can help you to get a clearer picture of what is affecting or distressing you. You may not be coping with your feelings, mood or behaviour and you may want to develop ways of making beneficial changes.
How long does it take?
This varies on your individual situation, usually you will be offered 8 sessions but sometimes young people don’t need as many as this or they might need more. Your counsellor will discuss this with you and review it during the course of your counselling sessions.
How long is a session?
Sessions will usually last between 40 to 60 minutes.
How often will I see my counsellor?
Many people see their counsellor once a week, but the frequency can vary according to your need.
What happens at the first meeting with a counsellor?
The counsellor will spend a few minutes talking about confidentiality and how records are kept. You will then be able to ask any questions and have a conversation about your situation. Then you and the counsellor can decide whether having counselling might be helpful to you and/or whether you would benefit from other types of support.
Who can use this service?
Any student at Joseph Rowntree School.
How can I make an appointment?
You can make an appointment by speaking to any member of the pastoral staff or by filling in a confidential form which can be downloaded from the website, available in pastoral offices and on the Counselling noticeboard which is located by HU6. Students can hand the envelope to Mr Walker, Designated Safeguarding Lead or their pastoral team, or give it to reception marked confidential and for the attention of Mr Walker.
If a parent or carer feels counselling may be beneficial for their young person they can contact the pastoral team on for information.
Counselling is voluntary and it is always the young person’s choice about whether they would like counselling.
Who is the counsellor?
Our counsellor is Sian Clare.
Sian is a registered accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and has many years of experience working with young people.
How confidential is the counselling service?
What is talked about during counselling is confidential. This includes not discussing the work with staff or parents unless the young person requests it.
However, safety and welfare of young people is paramount and there are circumstances when information shared in confidence, such as self-harm, needs to be passed on. This is clearly explained at the start of counselling.
What about consent?
We ask parents or carers to sign a consent form and to be supportive by showing an acceptance of counselling as a normal and useful activity.
However sometimes young people may not want their parents or carers to know they are having counselling. By the age of 13 young people have the right to make that choice as long as they are assessed by the counsellor to have the competency to make that decision with sufficient understanding.
What do people talk about in counselling?
Many issues are brought to counselling, some examples could be:
Anxiety/stress/panic
Abuse
Bullying
Bereavement
Coping with School life
Family
Identity
Low mood
Relationship
Click below to download a student self-referral form