At St. Mary's Secondary School, the wellbeing of every student is at the heart of everything we do. As part of our Guidance and Chaplaincy Programme, we provide counselling support to help students navigate the personal, social and educational challenges they may encounter during their school journey.
Counselling is available on both an individual and small-group basis and forms part of our commitment to supporting students' personal development and emotional wellbeing. Students may access counselling as part of their ongoing development or during times of personal difficulty or crisis.
Support may include:
- Personal counselling
- Educational counselling
- A combination of personal and educational guidance
Our counselling service provides students with a safe, respectful and supportive environment in which they can discuss concerns, explore options and develop positive coping strategies.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a fundamental principle of the counselling process. Students are encouraged to speak openly, knowing that information shared during counselling is treated with sensitivity and respect.
At the beginning of counselling, students are informed of the limits of confidentiality. Information will only be shared where there is a legal or professional responsibility to do so, for example where there is concern that a student may be at risk of harm to themselves or to another person.
Where it is considered to be in the student's best interests to involve a parent, guardian or member of staff, every effort will be made to do so with the student's knowledge and, where possible, their agreement.
Our aim is to ensure that every student feels listened to, supported and empowered to reach their full potential, both personally and academically.