What is counselling?
Counselling is the process of helping and supporting a person to resolve personal, social, or psychological challenges and difficulties.
What do school guidance counsellors do?
- work with the students, staff and whānau in our school community
- mostly assist students to deal with personal, social or behavioural issues that put their wellbeing, learning and educational achievement at risk
- at times, assist staff and, in special circumstances, families, whānau and caregivers
- liaise with outside agencies involved in supporting members of our school community, mainly students, e.g. CAMHS
Counselling Confidentiality
All kaiwhakamāia or counsellors at our kura are members of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC).
We are bound by the NZAC Code of Ethics and therefore treat all communication between counsellor and client as confidential and privileged information, unless the client gives consent to particular information being disclosed.
We can only make exceptions to confidentiality in order to reduce risk, for example, if there is serious danger in the immediate or foreseeable future to the client or others.
If we need to pass on confidential information, we will provide only the minimum of information necessary and only then to those people to whom it is absolutely necessary.
Wherever possible, the decision to make an exception to confidentiality is made after seeking the client’s cooperation.