Education institutions across the world are currently undergoing a change. The change is fuelled by not only the way in which knowledge is now being delivered, but also in ways in which students are receiving and interpreting social, emotional, and literary support received from their schools. Students today face immense challenges and pressure that needs additional support. With growing competition in the world, pressure to perform excellently in academics, extracurricular, and socially, students often find it difficult to face the challenges of transitioning from one grade to the other. Schools, hence, need to be equipped to assist students of all ages cope better with these challenges and transition from childhood to adulthood without facing too much trouble. With social media and gaming being a major distractor in today’s world, having additional support from the school can go a long way.
Role of School Counselors
Counselors are professionals who have a degree in psychology or specialise in child psychology. Students go to professional counselors to seek advice on multiple things, such as:
- Help with adjusting to the school
- Emotional well-being of students,
- Adjusting to the family issues
- Student guidance and counseling
- Helping students for academic performance or academic support in schools,
Another place where a counsellor can play major role is addressing the challenges of bullying in school. One of the most important challenges that a kid might face in school especially if they have any mental health issue is some sort of bullying. This is a double edged sword as bullying can lead to mental health conditions and mental health conditions can also lead to bullying. Students at a younger age are more susceptible to such cases with bullying now extending to online platforms.
A school counsellor or licensed professional counsellor must be aware of youth issues and provide counselling session or therapy in a safe manner and also help the child adjust to their issues and build overall emotional well-being.
School Counselor Benefits
Having school counselors is important for a school as it focuses on the mental well-being of each and every individual and helps them grow into successful students both academically and personally. As a school counsellor is free to address the issues faced by a student, they are imperative to the growth of the school as a whole.
School counselors make a major difference in schools as they help in making students motivated learners and encourage them to express themselves. School counselors also conduct group and individual counselling sessions when required. Parents are also included in sessions for issues that might require outside counselling or support from the family. Parents and teachers’ meetings can also be mediated with the counselors to offer solutions for both academic and personal issues. School counselors also work in relation with other members and staff of the school and collect and share information related to student welfare with them. They also help develop, coordinate and assess initiatives that promote student welfare and improve learning standards.
Importance of School Counseling
As students’ mental health status significantly affects their personal development, school counselors should focus on ensuring support for mental health problems, motivating students to learn and explore academic issues, encourage students to have conversations with parents and peers and addressing issues because of which they are facing problems. Students should also be encouraged to lending a sympathetic ear for other students,.
School counselors can facilitate more intimate or group counselling sessions, provide teachers with support needed to address educational goals and needs of the students, help plan classroom and group activities. Other than mental health and counselling services for students, professional school counselors are also important for school administration to initiate counselling programmes and ensure comprehensive academic missions are in line to promote students’ success.
These all provide a great opportunity to promote mental health and emotional well-being, prevent mental health problems, and identify areas to support children who are facing emotional difficulties. Educators, school counselors, and administrators play an important role to mental health in education is taken care of by integrating processes that work for everyone.
Mental Health in Education
Behavior management strategies are important for school counselors as it helps manage discipline and disruptive behavior. While negative discipline punishments like punishment criticism have harmful effects, counselors should push for more positive discipline techniques. These include setting reasonable and fair limits, developing multi-step plans with students to help them wait patiently, and setting limits against aggression and communicating expectations clearly. Students should also be pointed out natural and logical consequences if they indulge in negative and disruptive behavior.
How can school counselors deal with depression?
School counselors should check on their students often and help them quantify their mood. They should also identify activities or class projects where students can work with supportive peers and help them evaluate negative thoughts. School counselors should promote positive self-talk to make them believe in themselves and allow them to do tasks in their own manner, encouraging students to write in journals about their moods or any form of creative expression they like.
How can school counselors deal with autism?
With growing number of developmental issues such as autism, managing that with students is imperative. This is where a school counsellor can play a major role by helping them align their learning ability with current school practices, using clever and simple languages and explaining non-verbal communications to help students recognize emotions of others. School counselors should also work with teachers and other students to make them aware of different behaviours that might be displayed by a student with autism and how they can support them better.
How can school counselors support students with PTSD?
A lot of students might also be suffering from PTSD due to personal trauma, especially if they have been displaced due to war or are refugees. School counselors and school administration should make the school a safe space with predictable and normal routines to help decrease the impact of trauma on them. Students should also be taughts relaxation techniques to diminish escalating distress and helping them identify the trigger points. Growing skills and alternative activities outside the class and independent projects should also be supported that help them feel accomplished. School counselors should also promote the child to write down their inclusive thought or flashbacks that can be discussed with school staff.
How can school counselors support students at risk of self-harm?
School counselors should be especially wary if a student is at the risk of suicide or is considering self-harm Every comment related to this should be taken seriously and brought to immediate attention of the child’s parents, school nurse and the school authorities. Students with depression are at a higher risk for self-injury, suicidal thoughts and attempts.
School counselors should work to ensure that these students are given special attention and the protective factors against suicide such as good relationship with classmates and teachers should be made available. They should also work with authorities to identify students who might be at risk for suicide by noticing dramatic changes in behaviours or performance or giving away material possessions. The counsellor should also work with the parents to ensure that they are never left unsupervised by an adult and proper therapy should be started for the student.
Counseling in schools should be readily available for students so that they can seek advice and guidance during crucial points in their lives. Professional counselors with a master’s or doctorate in school and child psychology should strive to be there for students who are going through a difficult time, struggling with mental health, or need advice and support. Even a few words of advice from a helpful counsellor can profoundly impact the student’s life by improving the trajectory of their life and outlook on school, family, and future.
At NABHS, we connect you with professionals who can help you deal with any mental health issue. Even if you are looking for a school counselor who can help students at your school or an expert in child psychology and counseling, we can help you by connecting with our experts.
Give and get the support your mental health needs, today!
