If you have been referred, you should have been informed by whoever referred you. If you referred yourself, congratulations! It is hard to ask for help. The purpose of the referral is to help you find some solutions to what is going on that is affecting your learning and/or wellbeing. Counsellors are university trained professionals who are skilled in establishing therapeutic relationships and will work with you to help you to achieve the changes that you want.

If you are old enough to make your own decisions about getting help, the counsellors can suggest places in the community you can contact. Despite your age, you may be able to get a referral and mental health plan from your GP to see a therapist in the community, but usually your parents will need to know about this.

No, we don’t think it’s weird. Counselling is something that many people need during difficult times in their lives and young people spend a lot of their time at school. If your friends find out, you can tell them that you are getting some help with things that are getting in the way of your learning.

Each session will be a maximum of 50 minutes but may be less, depending on the circumstances, in which case you may be asked to return to your class before it is over.

Sessions might be weekly or fortnightly. The counsellor will work out with you the best time in your school week for a session. Counselling can be as brief as one session, or it can be for many sessions. It depends on what you are wanting help with.

Yes, however the counsellor will ask you which classes you do not wish to come out of.

Confidentiality means that the counsellor keeps what you say to them private. If the counsellor is worried about your safety or the safety of others, they may have to tell others, but they will inform you if they are planning to do that.

Usually the counsellor will ask you if it is OK to share general feedback with your parents or the House Leader. Counsellors may also discuss your details with other counsellors on the team. All of this done because we want to make sure that you are getting the help that you need.

We believe that generally speaking, it is helpful for parents to be aware if you are having ongoing counselling. We do not share the things you have discussed with the counsellor. There are situations when a young person may not want their parents to know that they are receiving counselling. In these situations, we will discuss this with you.

You can talk to the counsellor about anything. If you are seeing a counsellor regularly, you will be working on some goals you want to achieve.

It would be helpful for you to think of what is worrying you and the help you would like. If you are having ongoing counselling, you may be asked to complete some tasks between sessions.

Counsellors rarely give advice. They don’t tell you what to do, but may provide information so you can make the best choices. Counsellors help you to solve your own problems.

You don’t have to say anything in particular, however the counsellor will probably begin by asking questions about what is troubling you and what you would like to see happen. The counsellor may ask you to find other ways for you to express yourself, such as drawing, writing or through activities.

No, counselling is voluntary. You can decline to commence counselling and you can terminate it at any time, although whoever made the referral will need to be informed of your decision.

You get out what you put in, so hopefully you will see some success in achieving the change that you want.