The First One…

As a school counsellor you may be the first one

• To listen to the story of a young man who does not believe he is good enough because his step dad who is alcoholic repeats that he is not good enough everyday in a number of ways
• To be there when a young person comes out for the very first time
• To listen to the dying words of a student who has cancer, but still wants to come to school
• To listen to students who are having suicidal thoughts and don’t know how to cope or to students who need to be hospitalized and you are the first to assess the risk
• To recognize that a student has psychosis and send them to the hospital where they get diagnosed and the family starts the process of treatment
• To understand that a students cutting is way of coping with pain for them
• To sit with a student as she tells her mom that she is pregnant at 15
• To hear of a students years of repeated sexual abuse that they are now disclosing at 17 years old
• To refer young people to a group for dealing with clinical depression
• To work with a student who has been bullied since grade two and wants it to stop
• To help students who feel caught in the middle because of a parents divorce
• To recognize that a student needs treatment for their mental health
• To get help for a young woman or young man who has an eating disorder, but doesn’t want anyone to know
• To listen to the buried fears of a young man coping with an anxiety disorder
• To recognize a learning disability in a young person and have them get help
• To be present to the impalpable grief of a brother who lost his sister in a tragic accident
• To help students face the unbearable
• To reach out to a student with a drug and alcohol problem who feels nobody understands and encourage them to seek treatment
• To show compassion and assist students who are suspended from school
• To work with students who are in an unhealthy relationship and help them understand how to get help
• To assist students with their confusion about which post secondary school to go to
• To get students help for their academic challenges and start to achieve what they are capable of
• To let students know that whatever they are going through they will get through it. You will be with them along the way and assist them with resources to help them when they have finished school
• To listen to the unspoken dreams of a young person
• To let students know they can start over
• To reach out to the student who no one knows how to
• To be present and teach mindfulness to the student
• To encourage students to engage and include all students with special needs
• To trust the student
• To listen to their stories and share stories that can help them
• To believe in students
• To help students find courage
• To not give up on the student
• To be their champion
• To lift them up
• To celebrate and make them aware of their strengths
• To help, to really help students not just survive , but thrive
• To recognize the gifts that a student has and encourage them to utilize them
• To give HOPE to a student who has felt hopeless
• To be the one person that matters for that one student

The School Counsellor may just be the first one students decide to share their stories with. The student might feel safe enough in their school to trust an adult with their most precious and often their painful secrets and that person could be you. Students want help and School Counsellors are trained and want to help students. There are so many stories out there everyday and in every school all across the world that need and are being shared.

I believe School Counsellors can and are saving the lives of students.

Do we need School Counsellors? What do you think?

For any of you who are considering School Counselling, I want you to know it is the best career in the world. I also want to thank all the School Counsellors from across the world that saved a student’s life TODAY or yesterday or a year or maybe even several years ago and remind you that you do make a difference.

Always remember you may be the first one …