Counsellor
St Mary’s College has a school Counsellor who offers a confidential and professional service to our students and who is a member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors. Students can be seen individually or in small groups through an appointment system.
Small groups that focus on particular issues such as anger management, loss or managing feeling down are offered as needed.
Dr. Barbara Woods, PhD, Masters in Counselling, is at the College four days each week (not Thursdays) and can be contacted at telephone 473 5554 extension 827.
How can counselling help?
(from "School Counselling" NZAC)
Counselling can help you to:
- Feel better about yourself
- Think about, and do, things in a different way
- Reduce your stress levels
- Plan and set goals
- Explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviour
- Understand yourself better
- Improve your relationships
- Get access, or be referred, to other support as necessary
Message for Students
Things can often begin to feel better if you’re able to just be yourself and talk with someone who isn’t going to judge you and who won’t tell other people about what you’ve said.
Sometimes you can then start to come up with ideas yourself about how you can deal with things differently or ideas can come out of what you both talk about – “two heads are better than one” is an old saying that’s often true.
You’re important, and there’s always someone – a friend, a cat, family – that you matter to. Things do get better, and sometimes we just need someone or some others to “carry” us a little bit till they do get better. Counselling can help with that.
You can bring a support person or come alone. Just fill in a request slip from outside the counselling room door and a slip will be sent to you with an appointment.
Some helpful websites and phone numbers:
Feeling down? http://www.thelowdown.co.nz
http://www.whatsup.co.nz 0800 942 8787
www.kidsline.org.nz 0800 kidsline 0800 54 37 54
www.youthline.co.nz or phone 0800 37 66 33
Helpline 0800 111 757