Services
General Information
“Guidance Counsellors with the Halifax Regional School Board are responsible for the coordination of the guidance program within the school and community, focusing on preventative and responsive programs and services. These programs and services are principally concerned with the personal, social, educational and career needs of all students” (Student Services, HRSB).
Counsellors are trained to listen, support, and challenge students, as well as design counselling programs that will meet each individual’s needs.
There are four main components of the program:
1) Guidance Curriculum – Structured experiences presented through classroom or group activities (ex: social skills, decision making, healthy friendships and relationships etc.).
2) Professional Services – Counselling, consultation and referral support to meet the needs of students.
3) Life / Career Planning – Self-awareness activities that help students identify their strengths, talents and needs as they relate to school transitions and eventual career planning.
4) Program Management and System Support – Administrative activities that help establish community connections, support school staff, continue professional development, and maintain student records
Reasons to see a Guidance Counsellor:
- Being worried or stressed about things that are happening in class, at school or outside of school
- Problems with friends
- Concerns about bullying or harrassment
- Handling feelings, including anger and aggression
- Being scared or feeling unsafe for ANY reason
- Needing to be HEARD - having someone to talk to who can be trusted
- Looking for information or help for youself or someone else
- Being worried or stressed about things that are happening in class, at school or outside of school
- Problems with friends
- Concerns about bullying or harrassment
- Handling feelings, including anger and aggression
- Being scared or feeling unsafe for ANY reason
- Needing to be HEARD - having someone to talk to who can be trusted
- Looking for information or help for youself or someone else
CONFIDENTIALITY:
Keeping a TRUSTING relationship with a student is ESSENTIAL in a Counselling relationship.
"If I tell my Counsellor something, will they tell someone else?"
This is an important questions - so here are the FACTS:
All sessions with your counsellor are CONFIDENTIAL. Counsellors have and ethical responsibility to take every reasonable precaution to respect and safeguard a student's right to confidentiality.
But.... there are times when a Guidance Counsellor must disclose (tell someone else) something a student has told them.
This ONLY happens when:
- a counsellor suspects abuse (physical, sexual or verbal) based on what a student has told them.
- a student is at risk of harming themselves or an identifiable other person.
- a student requests a disclosure.
- a disclosure is ordered by a court.
Keeping a TRUSTING relationship with a student is ESSENTIAL in a Counselling relationship.
"If I tell my Counsellor something, will they tell someone else?"
This is an important questions - so here are the FACTS:
All sessions with your counsellor are CONFIDENTIAL. Counsellors have and ethical responsibility to take every reasonable precaution to respect and safeguard a student's right to confidentiality.
But.... there are times when a Guidance Counsellor must disclose (tell someone else) something a student has told them.
This ONLY happens when:
- a counsellor suspects abuse (physical, sexual or verbal) based on what a student has told them.
- a student is at risk of harming themselves or an identifiable other person.
- a student requests a disclosure.
- a disclosure is ordered by a court.