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Counselling service
Haileybury’s counselling service is a core part of our commitment to pastoral care for every pupil.
Based in the Health and Wellbeing Centre, the School’s Counselling Service is made up of counsellors who are fully qualified and experienced, as well as a small number who are training under supervision, and provides a confidential service for pupils and staff.
Counselling – an essential service
Counselling is today recognised as one of the best ways of helping people through difficult periods in their lives.
As part of our commitment to the pastoral care and support of every pupil, Haileybury employs three School Counsellors who work across the School week to support pupils and staff. The Counsellors may also liaise with parents over a particular need, where appropriate.
Why counselling?
Pupils seek counselling for a variety of problems. Counselling provides them with the opportunity to talk in confidence to a professionally qualified counsellor about worries or difficulties that may be affecting them. The option of counselling provides a source of emotional help from a trained professional.
There may be issues that pupils prefer to talk to the Counsellor about rather than a member of the teaching staff. This is because, as a trained and experienced healthcare professional, the Counsellor is more removed from their day-to-day school life and does not play a role in making assessments about pupils’ academic performance.
It is hoped that, by helping pupils to focus on and understand their difficulties and by supporting them to make any necessary changes, counselling will not only help them to develop as confident individuals, leading happy and fulfilled lives, but will help them go on to achieve their full potential academically.
Referral
Pupils are able to either self-refer for counselling or, in some cases, may be encouraged to make an appointment by parents, their Housemaster, Housemistress or a member of the pastoral support staff.
The counselling is usually delivered on an individual basis in 50-minute sessions once a week. Sometimes the Counsellor will work with groups if an issue is affecting more than one child, for example exam anxiety.
On occasions the counsellor may also ask to meet with parents and may see pupils and parents together. The number of sessions will depend on the needs of the pupil and is free of any charge.
Lead School Counsellor
Haileybury’s Lead School Counsellor is Lindsey Othen-Price, MSc, BA, Registered member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists MBACP (accredited). Lindsey can be contacted via email or by telephone on 01992 706 241.