St Paul’s Primary offers a trained onsite student counsellor to support students and family. The service aims to assist our school community through one to one or group sessions. The support may include art therapy, small group student workshops, parenting workshops, mediation, phone calls with families, mindfulness, problem solving and much more.
The Service aims to:
- Provide students, their families and staff with support and or appropriate referrals in difficult situations, such as during times of grief or when students are facing personal or emotional challenges
- Support students and staff to create an environment which promotes the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development and wellbeing of all students
- Support students and staff to create an environment of cooperation and mutual respect, while promoting an understanding of diversity
Our service is available to every family within the school and offers sessions for students, parents, staff and other members of the school community as required. The program is offered to the school community with the understanding that participation is always voluntary.
Specifically, our trained counsellor:
- assists families facing personal and emotional challenges such as ‘Grief and Loss’ through death, divorce and separation, or loss of a pet
- mediates between children experiencing friendship issues, helping build self-esteem
- provides strategies for dealing with anger management and anxiety issues
- provides resources and support to parents dealing with ‘parenting issues’
- builds relationships with both children and their families, whether simply connecting through a phone call, or just being there to listen
- organises and provides meals and a support network to families, in times of personal crisis
- provides details of outside agencies to parents seeking specialised services
- presents staff with initiatives to promote Social Emotional Learning
- trains staff and parents in the principles of Restorative Practices
- builds networks with Shire groups e.g. SFYS (Student Focused Youth Services)