What We Do

School counselling is available to all students and parents/caregivers at the school. Parents and caregivers can phone with concerns about their children, and that can just be to ask for some advice or to arrange for their child to meet the counsellor (phone 9208 7200). In most years about 10% of students we see are referred by a parent or caregiver.

Many students refer themselves. During an average year we talk with somewhere between a fifth and a quarter of all students enrolled, with a majority having one or two sessions. Students can have a chat by talking to the counsellor directly, sending an email, or asking at the office.

We can tell you about counselling options outside the school if that is what you prefer. These extend from adolescent and family counselling services through to specialist adolescent mental health services, paediatricians, and other professionals. See "Where to get help" for more information.

Counselling is not just about problems. It can help students decide on their goals, increase their motivation, learn to manage their studies, and handle their stress, all with the aim of helping them to make the most of their time at school by building on their existing strengths.

Counsellors are aware of the importance of privacy and we take care to talk with students at the beginning about what cannot be kept confidential due to risk of harm or child protection reporting requirements. Almost everything can remain private, and if that is not possible we negotiate about who needs to be told and what they need to know. In some cases students agree that if certain people know about their circumstances – including parents/caregivers – more support can be offered.

There’s a section about counselling in the information pages of the student diary, along with a list of some useful websites and phone helplines for both students and parents/caregivers.

Keep an eye out for Counsellor's Corner in each edition of the school newsletter (available on this website) for news and views on parenting, adolescence, and schooling from the counselling perspective. You'll also find a collection of articles at the Counsellor's Corner Blog.

Mr Martin Graham & Miss Emma Pratt
School Counsellors

Click here to view: 

Counsellor's Corner Blog