15/01/2017
Child/Student Counselling
This is an attempt to explain to parents and teachers how counseling can help school going children right from primary school to high school. Below is an outline of School Going Childrens’ Counselling Basics: all the signs, symptoms and behaviours that are indicative of need for help from counseling and how a counselor approaches the various issues.
Consider referring your child for counseling if he/she
expresses concerns over a personal issue (i.e. relationships, addiction, family difficulties)
Seems excessively, anxious, depressed, irritable, withdrawn, angry or sad.
You notice significant changes in your child’s appearance or habits (i.e. deterioration in grooming, hygiene, weight loss, change in activity or speech patterns, or changes in academic performance)
In general children can be referred for the following problems
1. Behavioural issues: e.g. Behavious problems which have not responded to teachers’ and parents’ interrventions.
In little ones (Primary school)
• Constant complaints from class teacher about incomplete work
• Distractibility
• getting out of seat
• disturbing other children
• fights with everybody
• Constantly loses things
• Restless
• Inability to sleep or relax
Secondary and high school children
• Bullying and fighting
• Teasing
• Becoming a class joker
• Hyperactivity
• Distractibility
• Lack of concentration
• School expulsion
2. Emotional issues:
Little Ones : irritable, temper tantrums, fear, insecurity, anger, lack of confidence, too much crying
Secondary and High School children
• Separation of parents
• Family crisis or difficulties
• managing anxiety
• coping with and reducing stress
• adjusting to loss (death, relationships, job)
• increasing self-understanding
• making difficult decisions and clarifying choices
• Conflict resolution
• Anger management
• Assertive training
• Relaxation training
• resolution of personal issues
• eating concerns
• drug/alcohol issues
• self-esteem
• academic concerns (text anxiety, study skills)
• improving communication (with parents, faculty, friends, roommates)
• coping with incidents or trauma
3. Social issues:
Little Ones friendship difficulties; bullying; teasing; lack of appropriate social response
Secondary and High School children
• lack of social skills
• alienation and rejection
• inability to make friends
• Inappropriate social responses and behaviours
• Communication problems
• No friends
• Wrong company
• Peer pressure
• Relationships and break ups
• Healthy relationship with the opposite gender
• Smoking and drinking
4. Academic skills:
Little Ones : : not wanting to write in class; not at par with classmates academically; not learning anything in class; incomplete work; not noting down notes in diary; poor handwriting; inability to read and write; poor reading skills; letter reversals, number reversals
Secondary and High School children
• Exam preparation skills
• time management,
• organizational skills
• study pressure
• memory aids
• study skills
• lack of motivation
Students with special needs can be referred for
1. Behavioural issues: distractibility, hyperactivity, inability to focus, following directions, motivational problems, behaviour problems
2. Emotional issues: low self esteem, anger management, sad mood
3. Social skills training
Counselling Approach to issues:
Behavioural Referrals:
In case of a behavioural referral, we will observe the child in various settings to understand the behaviour dynamics, and the purpose or motivation the behaviour in question fulfills. In most cases along with working with the student, our role would be to support the parents/teachers with effective behaviour management strategies, which the latter would need to implement. In this process, we also explain the behaviour dynamics to the parents/teachers, which empower them to understand and effectively deal with behavioral problems of students and adults alike.
Emotional Referrals:
Students with emotional problems need one-to-one counseling on an on-going basis. Counsellors do not have a “magic wand” and there are no immediate changes. We listen to the students without judgement and “in confidence”, which serves as a “safe” outlet to their pent up thoughts and feelings. The catharsis that results is often therapeutic! However, hurt, pain, frustration acquired over a period of time do not go away in a month. When the immediate issue is resolved, the deeper issues are taken up, which in a student population like ours, would include basic skills of self-management.
In a group, students solve their common problems through discussion and facilitate the therapeutic process. In this way students form a support group.
Group therapy/counseling:
These could include social skills training, self-improvement groups, adolescent problems, or any issue in which students think they need guidance and support. Students do not need to have a counseling need to attend a self-improvement session.
Primary Intervention:
It is better to refer a potential problem before it reaches a crisis situation.
Life Skills training or value education aim at acquiring and developing in children self-awareness, emotional stability, self management skills, thinking skills, relaxation skills, stress management that helps one experience life with joy and fulfillment.
The Counsellor
Counselors work to support and empower parents and teachers to understand and deal with students’ issues and facilitate positive and healthy relationship.
The Counsellor develops a relationship of trust with children and parents which is based on empathy, unconditional acceptance and a non judgemental attitude. It is often this relationship that brings about healing.
Counsellors maintain confidentiality of a client under all circumstances unless the information shared poses threat to his/her life.
27/07/2017