A school is not always a safe place for kids. We hear scary school stories in India every other day. Still, we never realize the psychology behind any student committing suicide, feeling pressured due to exams, or getting harassed by teachers. We read and normalize it. But as an educator, parent, or someone dealing with kids, you should surely not think this way.
Recently in Jaipur, a 9-year-old girl jumped from her school building after months of bullying, and literally said this to her parents, “Don’t send me to school”, even seeking help from her teachers 5 times before taking this tragic step. And it’s not just one, but there are similar cases in Delhi, Jaipur, Kerala, and other parts of India, directly linked to either bullying, school pressure, harassment, ignored complaints from students asking for help, or academic stress.
This is a deeply saddening situation, even after CBSE’s strict guidelines for having accessible mental health care at school. Because when a child or a teenager makes such decisions, it directly impacts their parents. No parent can or wants to face such difficult times. And that’s why school counselling course is an important not only for counsellors but also for parents.
Definition of School Counselling And How They Work
School counselling is a type of counselling that provides emotional, social, academic, and career support to students in a school environment. And this field is equally important to parents as it is to teachers and counsellors. Because assessing how a child is performing at school is the ultimate responsibility of educational institutions and parents. More than performance, it is crucial to know how your child thinks and feels at school:
- Are they emotionally and physically safe?
- Are they facing any trouble at school that is impacting their mood?
- Are they experiencing any pressure?
- Or are they hiding something or doing something wrong that you should know about?
Overall, if you learn school counselling or already know it, your ideal work is creating a safe and healthy environment for kids at school. A professional school counsellor assesses children through dialogues, observations, and screenings to provide personalized therapy or, if needed, one-to-one counselling.
Types of School Counselling Support
1. Individual Counseling
Counsellors use individual sessions between students and counselors as opportunities for one-on-one conversations to address challenging emotions such as sadness, anger, or family issues. Counselors employ simple tools like talking things through, play therapy for younger kids (drawing or games to express emotions), or goal setting as quick fixes to help children feel stronger, back on their journey to happiness.
2. Group Counselling
Here, small groups (usually 4-8 students) meet to address topics they share, such as making friends, dealing with bullies, or building study habits. Sessions are supportive and enjoyable – often featuring activities or role-playing so everyone benefits while picking up tips for teamwork and handling peer pressure.
3. Academic Support
Counsellors collaborate with teachers and parents to assist students who are falling behind academically by setting small study goals, suggesting tutors, or creating schedules tailored to a child’s strengths. Counselling services don’t just offer homework help — they aim to build confidence so underperformers can catch up quickly while remaining motivated throughout their educational experience.
Role of Counsellors At School
A role of a counsellor at school is more than just “career guidance training”. They play an important role in helping kids with various sensitive issues their teachers and parents might ignore. Here are some critical roles played by a school counsellor:
- They provide proper guidance and advice: Just as a normal counsellor does in the initial phase, a school counsellor offers the appropriate guidance to kids. The advice could be related to their career, goals, academic targets, subjects, or school issues they’re struggling with.
- As a counsellor, you often act as a mediator: bridging the gap between home and school. You create a safe place for students to express their feelings openly and build a supportive environment.
- Speak for students’ needs: As a school counsellor, your essential role is to listen to students’ needs and relay them to parents and their teachers. Kids often hide their vulnerabilities and find it hard to express them to their close ones.
- Consult the student’s behaviour with educators and families: A school counsellor can guide parents and teachers on how to respond to children who reach out to them.
- Assessment and workshops: A counsellor can offer regular student workshops on emotional development, career planning, and stress and anxiety management.
Practical Results Parents Can Expect From School Counselling
School counselling typically produces visible changes in children’s behavior, emotions, and learning capabilities – parents can usually see its positive influence both at home and in school performance. Below are a few tangible, real-life results parents should anticipate once a strong school counseling system has been put into place:
- School counseling often leads to emotional and behavioral improvements that parents can clearly observe in their child. With counseling sessions at their disposal, children become more emotionally stable with fewer emotional outbursts; learning better ways of handling emotions such as anger and sadness.
- Academic progress is another crucial benefit of emotional therapy; by helping children overcome anxieties or low confidence, it improves concentration, making students more engaged learners – something parents witness through improvements in homework completion rates, class participation, and grades over time.
- Counseling provides significant gains for children’s social skills and relationships. Children learn vital social behaviors like sharing, listening, and conflict resolution, which build healthier friendships between peers.
- Communication between parents and children significantly improves. Counseling encourages children to discuss school experiences, stressors, and worries openly at home, while parents receive guidance on managing tantrums, academic pressures, or mood changes more effectively.
- Early identification and intervention of problems are immensely advantageous. Counselors can identify learning disabilities, attention problems, or emotional concerns early and refer individuals to specialist support services as needed.
- Counselling helps older students clarify career and future planning, providing insight into subject choices that align with the student’s interests and strengths, thereby eliminating confusion or family discord.
- Parents also benefit directly, receiving expert guidance on issues such as screen time use and exam stress management from school counselors, who offer practical, tailored strategies rather than generalized advice.
Train Yourself In School Counselling In India
Overall, there’s an urgent need for school counsellors in India. And this field is essential for anyone dealing with students’ IDs, especially parents. Because you are not only their primary caregivers but also their counsellors. If you can understand their emotions and feelings early, they not only develop health but also thrive in a positive environment. Indian Counselling Services is a leading ed-tech organization that trains educators and parents through a range of helpful courses.
Ready to train yourself with a perfect school counselling course in India? Click here to begin your journey!
