Who is a School Counsellor?
A school counsellor helps children in all ways, be it academic, social, behavioural or emotional. They work in collaboration with the teachers, parents and special educators to create a healthy learning environment that makes them feel comfortable. They also help to provide specific solutions to children with particular problems.
Role of a School Counsellor
Counsellors have special training in how to help kids solve problems and queries, make decisions, and stand up for themselves. Your school counsellor is available for you and wants to make your school experience the best it can be. The counsellor’s job is to take your child’s problem seriously and help find a solution. The counsellor also wants to help your child learn as much as he or she can in class, be a contributing member of the school community, and be a positive influence on the environment.
In Udgam School we have three counsellors, one for each section of the school.
MEET OUR COUNSELLORS
PRIMARY SECTION
Ms. Smita Jalla
M.A. in Applied Psychology from Jamia Millia
Islamia University, New Delhi
- Experience in knowledgeable and skilled in handling counselling sessions of clients and candidates in a corporate setup.
- Conducted and managed Behavioral and Problem Solving trainings and workshops.
- Conducted many psychometric assessments
- Contact her: [email protected]
MIDDLE SECTION
Ms. Archita Pradhan
Master in Clinical Psychology and Post -Graduate in Counselling Psychology
- Experienced in working in a clinical setup and training in Psychological Testing and Psychotherapy
- Extremely passionate and dedicated to the subject
- Conducted several workshops and training sessions
- Contact her:[email protected]
SECONDARY & SENIOR SECONDARY SECTION
Ms. Taranjitkaur Dave
M.phil. with distinction in Clinical Psychology. She was awarded the degree of PhD for her outstanding research work
- She has a rich experience of over ten years in dealing with adolescent age
- With a flair for research, she has a couple of research papers to her credit.
- Her area of work also resides in teaching psychology subject to senior secondary students.
- Contact her: [email protected]
What do School Psychologists do?
School Psychologists Work with Students to:
Provide counselling, instruction, and mentoring for those struggling with social , emotional , and behavioural problem
Increase achievement by assessing barriers to learning and determining the best instructional strategies to improve learning
Promote wellness and social skills, problem solving, anger management, self-regulation, self-determination, and optimism
School Psychologists Work with Students and Their Families to:
- Identify and address learning and behaviour problems that interfere with school success
- Evaluate eligibility for special education services
- Support students’ social, emotional, and behavioural health
- Teach parenting skills and enhance home–school collaboration
School Psychologists Work with Teachers to:
- Identify and resolve academic barriers to learning
- Design and implement student progress monitoring systems
- Design and implement academic and behavioural interventions
- Support effective individualised instruction
- Create positive classroom environments
- Motivate all students to engage in learning
How do School Psychologists make a difference in schools?
All children including adolescents face problems from time to time. They may:
- Feel afraid to go to school
- Have difficulty organising their time efficiently
- Lack effective study skills
- Fall behind in their school work
- Lack self-discipline
- Worry about family matters such as divorce and death
- Feel depressed or anxious
- Think about suicide
- Worry about their sexuality
- Question their aptitudes and abilities
School psychologists help children resolve these concerns. Following are examples of how school psychologists make a difference.
Case Study 1: The teacher noticed that Kruti, an able student, had stopped participating in class discussions and had difficulty paying attention. The school psychologist was asked to explore why Kruti’s behaviour had changed so much. After discovering that Kruti’s parents were separated, the school psychologist provided counselling for Kruti and gave her parents’ suggestions for this difficult time. Kruti’s behaviour and emotional wellbeing improved, and she felt more secure about her relationship with her parents.
Case Study 2: Daya was a middle student who often got into fights with others. The school psychologist taught him simple techniques to relax, recognize his needs, and to control his aggressive behaviour. Daya’s mother and his teacher worked together on a plan designed by the school psychologist to establish limits, recognise Daya’s escalating tension, and improve communication. Daya’s relationships with peers and adults improved and he began to make steady progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I approach the counsellor as a parent?
Udgam School believes that no child should be left behind in our school. Children pass through a long developmental phase during their schools days. Apart from intellectual skills, social and emotional skills also need to be developed. Adolescence is a critical phase in which the child passes through several changes at the same time.
Udgam School has two full time counsellors to look into the problems faced by children. Students who have problems in studies can have a confidential session with the counsellor. For younger children the parent approaches the counsellor and can avail the services. In extreme cases the teacher would take help of the counsellor in case she feels the need.
Our school counsellors might visit your child’s class. You can get an appointment by writing to her or through the child. You can even send a mail to her. It’s a good idea to know about the school counsellor, even if you don’t need any help right now.
If you are unsure how to contact the counsellor, ask your child’s teacher or one of the people who work in the school Front Office.
Generally, counsellors meet students in:
a private meeting
group meetings with kids who are dealing with the same problem
classrooms, where the counsellor teaches a class on a subject that affects everyone, such as study skills
What Will the Appointment Be Like?
For a parent who wants to meet the counsellor The most common setting to meet with a counsellor is in a private meeting with or without your child. Counsellor’s office is near the Front Office of both branches, in an approachable part of the school building.
For a child who wants to meet the counsellor Don’t worry that you need to know exactly what’s bothering you when you talk with the school counsellor. You may just be feeling bad or not doing as well in school as you know you can — and that’s OK. The counsellor will try to help you figure out what’s going on. When you do, he or she will have ideas for how to make things better.
Will the Counsellor Keep a Secret? The information you share with the counsellor is confidential. However, there are some cases when a counsellor can’t keep it confidential — if the counsellor thinks that you or someone else is at risk of being harmed. But even then, the counsellor would share that information only with people who need to know.
Udgam School Counsellors and Special Educators frequently arrange workshops to help parents deal with children with special learning or behavioural needs. If you wish to attend such workshops then please write to the concerned counsellor.
