School Counsellor :


WHAT IS COUNSELLING?
COUNSELLING is an interactive process characterized by a unique relationship between counsellor and the client that leads to a change in the client in one or more of these areas-
1. Behaviour (decision making, relationship skills etc.)
2. Belief (thinking, attitudes etc.)
3. Level of emotional distress (comfort level, reaction to stress)

WHEN IS COUNSELLING NEEDED?
'MAN IS A SOCIAL ANIMAL' and the efficacy and success of the process of socialization depends upon productive behaviour, rational belief and balanced level of emotional expression. It's the meaningful and harmonious socialization which leads to positive self-realization which and paves the path to self-actualization and ultimately results in a well-adjusted persona. Counselling deals with prevention and cure of any behaviour, belief or emotion  which is causing or might lead to distress and maladjustment in various domains of life i.e. family, school, college, job etc. So counselling is needed to facilitate adjustment of human beings in their social set up, so that they can utilize their abilities and potentials at the most and have a happy and harmonious living.

WHO IS A COUNSELLOR?
A COUNSELLOR IS A PERSON WHO IS PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED TO UNDERSTAND, ANALYZE AND MODIFY HUMAN THOUGHT AND ACTION.
During the training the counsellors  carry out an in-depth study (along with hands-on practical experience) of the scientific theories (put forward by research psychologists), which explain various cognitive processes (thinking, memory, learning, perception, problem solving, decision making) that account for the basis of intricate human thought and action.

Besides the theoretical and practical experience of the subject matter it becomes essential and imperative for a counsellor to develop certain personality traits like-empathy (rather than  sympathy), ability to individualize every case (against generalization), exercise mutual credibility and trustworthiness (to ensure full honesty in counselling relationship).

A counsellor works on the premise that every person faces difficulties in normal functioning of day to day life. When this difficulty starts causing mental stress and starts hampering day to day functioning, then it is the time to strengthen one to solve his/her problem himself/herself and also prepare  to face the problem again if it recurs in future.

WHY IS COUNELLING NEEDED IN SCHOOLS?
Our children now- a -days are living in a society, which is going through a transition phase. There are conflicts every where - conventional methods of study are under scrutiny, subject choices are manifold, job options are numerous, parental expectations are surmounting, media imposes new conflicts in front of them everyday in terms of personal dos and don'ts.

No doubt school going children at one or the other phases have always been facing one or more of these conflicts but  it's the extent and severity of these conflicts which is more today. Secondly, it is the increasing dearth of emotional support in family (due to so called generation gap - non understanding parents, due to lack of qualitative and quantitative time spent with parents, both parents working).

In this present scenario it becomes imperative for schools to take extra care of students' behavioural , cognitive and emotional needs at all stages. After all, it is the spread of education and not only literacy, which is the aim of the school. Education at all stages involves overall personality development--- academic, emotional, moral, mental and physical.

WHAT DOES A COUNSELLOR DO IN A SCHOOL?
A counsellor in the school helps students to help themselves in all domains of their life -academic, emotional, personality development, interpersonal relationships, choice of subject and career. Her most of the time is spent in planning their educational, vocational and personal futures. Thus a counsellor touches lives of all students. The functions of a school counsellor can be enumerated as follows-

1.Orientation of new students - This is the first step towards reducing the adjustment anxiety of new students. They are familiarized with school environment in an informal and friendly group interaction.

2.Students Appraisal-In order to understand a student and help him/her to develop a better understanding of self, information on various aspects of his personality is gathered. This includes information about his/her family, interest, abilities and general behaviour pattern. This is collected from various sources like parents, friends, and psychological tests.

3.Educational and Occupational information- The counsellor provides knowledge about different careers and jobs-their nature and scope.

4.Counselling-The counsellor helps the students to understand and accept themselves as individuals. They are helped to cope with stress and to take decisions.

5.Research and evaluation- From time to time surveys are done to understand the working of various variables (teacher, students, and parents) and their mutual interaction patterns. After evaluation of the surveys results, if required new methods are incorporated in the system.

In this section, some areas of difficulty and their probable  ways of handling, will be presented periodically. The solution put forward pertains to the particular case being discussed which will change if the background (in terms of family history and personality) changes.

P.S.:- The following case is being presented by using fictional name, class and age for the purpose of confidentiality. The nature of difficulty and various variables involved in it are actual.

1.My name is Vibha. I am going to appear in X board examination, this year. I have always been scoring above average marks in studies (75%-80%). This time during my pre-board exams I felt severe stomach ache while taking paper in school. The pain was so severe that I could not lift my fingers to write. I was rushed to school medical room  where doctor gave me some medication and after that I could manage to write a bit.

My parents have taken me to the best doctors and have got all medical tests done on me. Guess what! I have no medical problem. All doctors say it is  psychological stress. I am very confused as I feel I have no stress- I don't even think of my exam result an I am confident of my preparation---I am suffering from the pain everyday now ---I am very anxious  if I have this pain during board exam what will happen! I desperately want to get rid of this pain and want to know why it is happening to me only!

Dear Vibha. I fully understand your confusion and anxiety. First let me appreciate your courage in not giving up  till now and  still having the desire to fight. Let's try and understand the nature of your problem with the help of some scientific facts. What you suffer from is psychosomatic illness, which is just like another illness (fever, cough etc). Dear, its not just you but 50-60% of schools going children suffer from it in one or the other class. Psychosomatic illness can express itself in the form of-severe stomach ache (in your case), headache, backache, nausea, giddiness, seizures, extreme loss of appetite, body aches etc.). Yes, I agree with you that you have no reason to feel stress as you are well prepared and you are a good performer but at times there are certain pressures and stresses which our conscious mind is not aware of and these pressures bother us by taking their place in subconscious or unconscious mind.

I would like you to sit and contemplate thoroughly a few more times (may be with the help of your mother or a close friend) if there are any apprehensions which you have pushed back in some  part of mind as you are uncomfortable thinking about them (they might be parental expectations, peer pressure etc.). As you find any source of worry ;try and reason it out. I am sure you can help yourself as you seem to be a person endowed with rational thinking. To deal with   your anxiety regarding writing exams, I would like you to carry some medication in the examination hall (only after consultation with a good medical professional). These are anxiety-reducing drugs, which alleviate the pain temporarily.