Mental health articles

school based counseling guidelines The provision of school-based counselling

School-based counselling is a way of providing guidance to adolescents on matters that concern them. The specific issues you may need to cover will vary from one adolescent to another. The following are some general principles and guidelines that you can follow:
• Listen. Allow time to listen to the young person’s worries and problems.
• Ask. Ask specifically about mood and suicidal feelings, and about the use of alcohol or drugs.
• Problem-solving. Remember that most mental problems in adolescents are linked to real problems they are facing.school based counseling guidelines
• Involve the family. Teach parents and adolescents about the
need to talk to one another, to be flexible in what is expected
from each other and to be able to negotiate and compromise.
These are especially important in resolving family conflict.
• Offer practical help. If you discover, for example, that the key problem is that the young person is having difficulties with mathematics or that he is being bullied, then you may offer to take this issue up with the school authorities.
• Peer groups. Groups of adolescents can meet regularly and
discuss shared concerns, such as studies, stress, friendships
and so on.

Tags: counseling