Introduction
St. Elizabeth Public School is unique as it has a Counsellor for the students. The Counsellor is trained in Psychology and responsible for helping students gain an understanding of themselves and the situations facing them and to help them develop strategies to cope with change especially in a residential setting.
COUNSELLING PROCEDURES AT ST.ELIZABETH PUBLIC SCHOOL:
Counselling is an integral part of the school to support the emotional health and holistic development of the student. Counsellors the ‘Eclectic’ approach to Counselling. The Counsellors act as facilitators and the students are encouraged to speak out their feelings and emotions without interference. This helps the students introspect, and the Counsellor generally helps them to handle the matter by themselves. However, guidance is provided whenever required.
A good rapport with the students is of prime importance in counselling. In our residential setup, it is strengthened by visiting their dormitories regularly, monitoring their academic performance and co-curricular activities, checking on their eating habits and offering suggestions for improvement wherever required for holistic growth. Moral Instruction classes also aid in building a rapport with the students.
All records of Counselling are kept confidential. Weekly reports are submitted to the DOC with the necessary suggestions for further action. Counsellors’ meetings are held once a week in the office of the DOC. Once in a term, the Counsellor’s report is sent to the parents.
Individual Counselling
One-on-one counselling is provided to the students on a regular basis. It takes place in the section counsellor’s office whenever the need arises.
Group Counselling
Group sessions are conducted to inculcate values and ethics for life and to address common problems of growing up life skill issues.
Self- Management Therapy
Self-Management Therapy covers Relaxation Therapy, Meditation, Guided Imagery, Gestalt Therapy, Thought Stopping and Yoga for the required students to exercise self-control. It is mainly provided for the students to handle Stress, hyperactivity, disturbed thoughts and sleeplessness.
Career Counselling & Guidance
Personality tests and inventories are administered for all the classes during the academic year. This helps them know the traits that are dominant in them and vocations are suggested based on these traits.
Standardized aptitude tests are administered during the second term of the academic year. This gives a clear understanding of the correlation between their choice of subjects and the Aptitude report. The Aptitude report also aids in understanding the student’s subject strengths and weaknesses. It the students in choosing the subject combination for further education. Academic Counselling is provided based on their performance in the monthly examinations.
Learning Styles
The results of profiling Learning Styles (Visual, Auditory, Tactile and Kinesthetic) will be shared with the students, class teacher and the subject teachers. This will aid the teachers and parents to understand and help the students accordingly.
Referral
If any student is identified with learning or behavioural issues, he/she will be referred to the Counsellor of the concerned section.
Confidentiality
- Confidentiality is the key to Counselling as it:
- encourages students to approach the Counsellor
- helps establish a rapport
- enables the students to build a trusting relationship
- encourages the students to speak freely about their feelings without fear of judgment
The contents of each Counselling session are confidential between the Counsellor and the student unless the student’s welfare or safety, or that of another, is considered to be at risk of significant harm. In this instance, the student will be intimated that the necessary information will be shared with after intimating the student the necessary information will be shared with the Principal who will speak with the student and inform the members of Academic Council for further action.
CONCLUSION
The Counselling team endeavors to prepare each student for academic, social and personal success, which are the objectives of the St. Elizabeth Public School. Our counselling system ensures that Counsellors act as facilitators and the students are encouraged to speak out their feelings and emotions without interference and inhibitions.