Wellness and Counselling Centres
The Wellness and Counselling Centre on each of our campuses provides professional services that support and enhance the personal growth, resilience and wellbeing of our individual students and of our school community.
UWCSEA’s commitment to developing a culture of care and wellbeing means that the wellness and counselling staff are part of a team that provides a network of support for all our students. Our commitment includes ensuring students are provided with a network of trusted adults they can turn to should they need to.
Through a carefully considered combination of preventative and responsive approaches, our qualified counsellors support the social-emotional development of students in developmentally appropriate ways. This includes working collaboratively with parents and families in times of individual or collective need, as well as working with staff in developing approaches to wellbeing and safeguarding.
The services our counselling teams offer include:
- confidential individual or group counselling
- preventive workshops for students
- information sessions and workshops for parents
- liaison with parents and teachers
- consultation with parents and staff
Students may be referred to the counselling team through their Head of Grade, by a parent, via external agencies or through self-referral. If a parent has a concern about their child that cannot be addressed through the pastoral support provided by their teacher, mentor or Head of Grade, they are welcome to contact the relevant counsellor.
Both centres offer students a combination of individual appointments and workshops to support their needs, and have counsellors who are specialists in developmental approaches for each stage of the school. We also have counsellors who work with our students in the boarding houses on each campus.
Our approach
At UWCSEA there is a network of support whom students can turn to when they are having difficulties. This includes their teachers and mentors, student support staff, leadership in their school and the counselling and nursing teams.
Safeguarding the wellbeing of our students is fundamental to our beliefs. Learning can only be effective when students feel safe and supported. So while their difficulties may arise or be experienced outside of school, for example at home or online, we recognise that it is important for our students to find someone to talk to who will listen and help.
Some of the situations our counsellors are experienced in supporting young people through include:
- being treated unkindly or made to feel uncomfortable
- they, or someone they know was being bullied
- they were having relationship difficulties
- they were being treated unfairly or verbally abused by an adult
- they were being discriminated against
- they were experiencing problems at home
- they were having difficulty making new friends
- they were having problems with school work
- they were being abused
- they felt anxious or depressed
Confidentiality is important to us and all information is protected in accordance with ethical counselling standards, with the following exceptions: imminent risk to self or others; abuse or neglect; and court or other legal proceedings. If there is ever a need to disclose information, counsellors will discuss this with the student to ensure it is handled in a manner that is ethical, respectful and best supports the student's wellbeing.
Our counselling team
Each campus has a team of qualified counsellors who offer a confidential, empathetic empowerment service that enhances student well-being, thereby enabling access to the opportunities offered by our learning programme. Each counsellor is attached to a school-section on their campus.
Our counsellors have a unified approach that enables them to work as a team from a centrally located Wellness and Counselling Centre on each campus. Because we provide age-appropriate support and services, all our counsellors also have an overarching view of the students in a particular school section, and this provides an additional layer of support for our students.
Our counsellors for the boarding houses are skilled in supporting students in their transition to boarding.