School Counselling
A key proposal by the DfE in their report Counselling In Schools: A Blueprint For The Future is that:
“In every part of the country, children and young people having timely access to effective mental health support when they need it”.
Rhise Therapy can provide that access. Counselling is an intervention that children or young people can voluntarily enter into if they want to explore, understand and overcome issues in their lives which may be causing them difficulty, distress and/or confusion.
The aims of Rhise Therapy are to assist the child or young person to achieve a greater understanding of themselves and their relationship to their world, to create a greater awareness and utilisation of their personal resources, to build their resilience, and to support their ability to address problems and pursue meaningful goals.
Encourage, Explore, Educate, Empower
The Statistics
Information from NHS England states that 1 in 8 five to nineteen-year-olds have at least one ‘mental disorder’.
The likelihood of experiencing a mental health disorder increases with age. Among primary school children, 1 in 10 five to ten-year-olds had a mental disorder when assessed in 2017.
In 11 to 16 year olds, 1 in 7 had a disorder, which increases to 1 in 6 in young people aged 17 to 19.
Children and young people with mental health conditions are more likely to find school difficult. For example, children and young people with a mental health condition are 8.5% more likely to refuse school than those without a mental health condition.
In England, 6.8% of children and young people with a mental disorder have been excluded from school, compared to 0.5% of those without. It is estimated that one in two pupils in alternative provision settings have a mental health need.
“It is widely recognised that a child’s emotional health and wellbeing influences their cognitive development and learning as well as their physical and social health and their mental wellbeing in adulthood”
HM Goverment: Promoting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing
Benefits of School Counselling
Schools are on the frontline when it comes to supporting children and young people’s mental wellbeing.
Schools provide an ideal environment for promoting good emotional wellbeing and identifying early behaviour changes and signs of mental distress.
One way schools can support and positively impact a young person’s mental health is to provide a school counselling service.
Rhise Therapy provides primary and secondary schools with counsellor(s) who are dedicated to being an integral part of the school mental health team.
They work closely with pupils, families and staff to improve emotional wellbeing and provide mental health support.
There are many benefits of offering a school counselling service:
Encouraging the child or young person to express their voice
Exploring the difficulties of children and young people
Empowering children and young people to maximise their potential and reach meaningful goals
Increasing children and young people's understanding and ability to address their difficulties
Promoting strategies to cope with change
Supporting the development of personal strategies needed to manage problems
Common Issues
The most common issues children and young people need support with are:
Social challenges
Adjustment issues
Barriers to learning
Stress anxiety and depression
Family issues
Friendship issues
Anger
Bullying
Loss and bereavement
Having looked after status
Having adopted status
Low self-worth and self-esteem
Problematic relationships
Identity (gender, sexual, cultural)
Self-harm
Academic pressure
Abuse
Eating disorders
Substance abuse
Disability or long-term illness
Traumatic events
Transitions
Isolation