Students come for counselling at The Harefield Academy for a variety of reasons. Some might be having problems with friends, some are feeling angry or upset at home, some may have suffered a trauma or bereavement. Others may be experiencing specific emotional feelings such as anxiety or depression and some pupils might not even know what the problem is; just that they're feeling unhappy.

 

 

Many pupils suffer some kind of distress at some time in their school life. It is thought at any one time that 10% of pupils are suffering emotional distress of one kind or another. It is therefore important to recognise this and to be able to offer support for those who find themselves with feelings they can’t manage alone. Usually, pupils are offered weekly counselling appointments according to their needs and may attend for a couple of sessions or a number of months depending on the issue.

 

Confidentiality is paramount to counselling and it is important that the pupil understands that what they talk about will not be discussed with others, except in situations where it is felt they may be at risk. Counselling attempts to understand what is going on for each young person by listening carefully and supporting their feelings. It is important that pupils coming for counselling can feel safe, not judged and listened to in a completely confidential environment. Part of the job of counsellor is to equip students with the tools to understand their feelings to make better decisions. Hopefully the young person in counselling will in time feel more confident to deal with situations and people and understand themselves and their feelings better.

 

 

Sometimes students don't know what to expect from counselling and might worry that people might think you have to be 'mad' to see the counsellor. It might feel difficult at first for a young person to talk to someone they don’t know about their feelings but counselling strives to create a safe place where in time it may be possible to open up and with the counsellor’s help, find some understanding about what might be causing the feelings. Rarely can anyone cope with everything all by themselves and it’s fine to ask for support when we need it. Counselling offers this in a confidential and contained environment.