SCHOOL COUNSELLOR SERVICE
As part of the pastoral care program for students, McAuley has access to a Student and Family Counselling service provided by CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn (CCG). CCG are contracted to McAuley to provide a counselling service to students and their families. There is no fee to access this service.
The role of the counsellor is to focus on the emotional, social and educational well-being of the students. Counsellors welcome contact with students having difficulty with some part of their life, whether or not it affects their school work. The problem does not have to be a big one. It is better to seek help sooner than later. Some typical concerns that counsellors work with include: anger, anxiety, behavioural problems, depression, eating problems, family breakdown and family conflict, grief and loss, learning and educational challenges, parenting challenges, peer and other social relationships, school avoidance, stress and study skills. As well as individual sessions with students, counsellors can run groups, do family work, consult with parents and teachers and make referrals to other services and supports. If the Counsellor believes the support for the student is beyond their scope of expertise, they will suggest referrals for specialist services. Counsellors also do not provide cognitive or learning assessments or court reports. Families requiring these will be referred to another service.
2021 has seen some changes to the school counselling service. The biggest change relates to consent and permission. Parent consent is now required for all students under 14 years of age, consent will be sought and provided via email. The other major change is how to make an appointment. Referrals and requests can be made by completing the online referral form accessed from the following link:
https://catholiccare.force.com/housing/s/school-referral-form