Mental Health Support Services for Young People
Support Services:
The services listed here provide mental health information and support for young people.
Counselling Support in DCS:
Counselling is a way to get extra support for yourself. Here in Douglas Community School we have a Guidance Counsellor and a Chaplain.
What Problems Do We Help With?
We help students who are going through tough times like:
- Family problems
- School problems
- Dealing with health conditions
We help students work out difficult feelings like:
- Sadness, depression, or grief
- Anger
- Stress, anxiety, or worry
- Low self-esteem
Students can make an appointment by:
- Calling to the Guidance Counsellor's or the Chaplain's office.
- Emailing [email protected] or [email protected] and request an appointment.
What Happens in Counselling?
Listening and Talking
Counsellors listen to what you want to say in a non-judgemental way. Counsellors guide you to see how your feelings, thoughts, choices, and actions affect each other.
Learning
Counsellors provide insight about emotions, thoughts, coping skills, facing fears and more. What each person learns about in counselling depends on what they need help with.
Practice New Skills
Counsellors might teach skills like mindfulness, positive self-talk and calm breathing. In your counselling visits, you'll practice the skills you learn.
Work Out Problems
Your counsellor will ask how problems affect you at home and at school. You'll talk this through. You'll use the skills you're learning to work out problems.
Find Your Strengths
Counselling helps you build inner strengths like courage and confidence. It helps you see how capable you are and that helps you feel happier in your life.
Confidentiality:
Confidentiality is a central and integral part of the counselling process and is assured to each student who avails of the Counselling Service. It offers safety and privacy to those who choose to discuss personal and private concerns. Information given during the counselling session is held in strict confidence. The issue of confidentiality is always discussed with students during the first session. This provides the opportunity to clarify any concerns that may arise. Counselling Service files are not attached to any academic records held within the school.
Limits to Confidentiality:
In exceptional circumstances Guidance Counsellors and Chaplains may need to break confidentiality if they believe there is a real intent of serious harm or danger to either their student or another individual. In as far as is possible, in such cases, a full explanation will be given regarding the necessary procedures that may need to be taken.