What Does a School Counsellor Actually Do?
If your teenager is struggling at school, you may have heard of a school counsellor but still be unsure about what they actually do.
Does a school counsellor provide therapy? Can students talk to them about anxiety, friendships or family difficulties? What happens if a teenager is experiencing school refusal, bullying or difficulties with their mental health? And how can the experience of a school counsellor benefit a young person accessing private counselling?
As both a school counsellor and private counsellor for teenagers in and around Brisbane, Queensland, I have the opportunity to support young people in both settings. My experience working within schools gives me valuable insight into the realities teenagers face every day, while private counselling provides a separate space where young people can work through concerns outside of the school environment.
What is a school counsellor?
A school counsellor is a trained professional who supports students with their emotional wellbeing, mental health, relationships, behaviour and ability to engage with school.
The role can look different from school to school and depends on the individual needs of each student. Some students may need support with a specific issue, while others may benefit from having a trusted adult they can talk to about what is happening in their lives.
For teenagers, school is often a significant part of their world. Academic pressure, friendships, social media, family relationships, identity and concerns about the future can all influence a young person's wellbeing.
A school counsellor can help students understand these challenges, develop coping strategies and build skills that support both their wellbeing and their ability to engage with school.
What does a school counsellor help with?
There is no single reason a student might see a school counsellor. Counselling can support young people experiencing concerns such as:
Anxiety and excessive worry
Low mood and depression
School refusal or difficulties attending school
Academic pressure and school-related stress
Friendship difficulties and conflict
Bullying
Family changes or separation
Grief and loss
Low self-esteem and confidence
Emotional regulation
Anger and frustration
Social difficulties
Difficulties adjusting to change
Neurodivergence, including challenges associated with ADHD or autism
Motivation and goal setting
Study and organisational difficulties
Managing big emotions
Building resilience
Sometimes a teenager may not even be able to explain exactly what is wrong. They may simply know that they don't feel like themselves. They don't need to arrive at counselling with all the answers.
What actually happens in a counselling session?
Counselling isn't simply sitting in a room and talking about problems.
A session might involve talking through a difficult situation, identifying unhelpful thought patterns, learning strategies for managing anxiety, setting goals or developing better ways of communicating with others.
Depending on the young person's needs, counselling may draw on approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), solution-focused strategies, emotional regulation skills and psychoeducation.
With teenagers, counselling is often conversational and collaborative. The approach can also be adapted to suit the individual young person, rather than expecting every teenager to engage in exactly the same way.
The goal isn't to tell a young person what they should do. Instead, counselling can help them understand themselves, consider their options and develop strategies they can actually use in everyday life.
Do teenagers actually want to talk to a counsellor?
In my experience, sometimes the answer is an enthusiastic yes. Sometimes it is very much "I don't need counselling." Or, they may have had negative experiences in the past with counsellors or psychologists and are not sure if they want to try again. And sometimes, a teenager simply doesn't know what to expect.
Building trust is therefore one of the most important parts of counselling with adolescents. Teenagers are more likely to engage when they feel listened to rather than judged, lectured or told what to do.
A good counsellor won't expect a young person to immediately open up about everything. The relationship develops over time and at the student's pace.
My experience as a school counsellor in Brisbane has given me a first-hand understanding of how important this relationship can be. I see how teenagers navigate school expectations, friendships, academic pressure and the many social and emotional challenges that can arise during adolescence. That experience also informs the way I work with teenagers through private counselling.
What is the difference between school counselling and private counselling?
School counselling and private counselling can both provide valuable support, but the setting and focus can be different.
A school counsellor works within the school environment and can consider a young person's wellbeing in the context of their education, relationships and day-to-day school experience.
Private counselling takes place outside of the school environment. This can give teenagers a separate space to talk about whatever is important to them, whether or not it is directly related to school.
For some young people, this separation is particularly helpful. They may prefer to speak with someone who isn't part of their school community or may want support that extends beyond what is available through their school.
This is one of the reasons I value working in both settings. My experience as a school counsellor gives me an understanding of the environment teenagers are navigating, while my private practice allows me to work with young people independently of their school.
Why does school experience matter in private counselling?
Teenagers rarely experience their challenges in isolation. A young person's anxiety might affect their attendance. Friendship difficulties might affect their confidence in the classroom. Academic pressure might contribute to stress at home. Neurodivergence might influence how they experience school, friendships and expectations.
Understanding the school environment can therefore be an important part of understanding the young person.
Through my work as a school counsellor, I have experience supporting students within the realities of school life. This means that when I work with a teenager privately, I can consider not only what they are experiencing emotionally, but also how their school environment may be contributing to or being affected by those concerns.
This might include looking at:
What happens before school refusal or avoidance
How anxiety affects school attendance
Academic and assessment pressure
Friendship and peer relationships
Classroom and school expectations
Organisation and executive functioning
Transitions between school years
Communication between young people, parents and schools
The impact of neurodivergence on the school experience
The aim isn't to make every problem about school. Rather, it is about considering the whole young person and the environments they are navigating.
When should a teenager see a counsellor?
You don't have to wait until a problem becomes a crisis.
A teenager may benefit from counselling if you notice ongoing changes such as:
Avoiding school or frequently asking to stay home
Becoming increasingly withdrawn
Significant changes in mood
Frequent emotional outbursts
Losing interest in activities they normally enjoy
Struggling with friendships
Becoming overwhelmed by schoolwork
Persistent worry or anxiety
Difficulty sleeping because of stress or worry
A noticeable drop in confidence
Saying they feel unable to cope
Finding everyday situations increasingly difficult
Importantly, you don't need a diagnosis before seeking counselling.
Private counselling can be preventative as well as responsive. A teenager doesn't have to be experiencing a mental health disorder to benefit from having a safe space to develop emotional awareness, coping strategies and confidence.
What about confidentiality?
Confidentiality is an important part of creating a safe counselling environment. Young people need to understand that counselling is a space where they can speak honestly without automatically having everything they say reported back to parents, teachers or other people.
However, confidentiality has limits when there are serious concerns about a young person's safety or the safety of another person. These boundaries should be explained clearly so that the young person understands what they can expect from counselling.
For parents, this can sometimes be difficult. You may understandably want to know exactly what your teenager has discussed. However, respecting appropriate confidentiality can help teenagers feel safe enough to engage honestly with counselling.
School counselling and private counselling in Brisbane
For families in Brisbane and across Queensland, support for teenagers can come from a range of professionals and services.
For some young people, school counselling may be the most appropriate starting point. For others, private counselling for teenagers in Brisbane provides a separate and confidential environment away from school.
There isn't one right option for every teenager. The most important thing is finding an approach that feels safe, appropriate and useful for the individual young person.
At Home Mind Therapy, I provide private counselling for teenagers and young adults in Brisbane and Queensland via telehealth. Alongside my private practice, I also work as a school counsellor, giving me first-hand experience of the challenges young people can experience within the school environment.
My counselling approach focuses on creating a relaxed, supportive and non-judgemental space where teenagers can explore what's happening for them and develop practical strategies that fit their lives.
I support young people with concerns including anxiety, school stress, school refusal, emotional wellbeing, neurodivergence, confidence, relationships and goal setting.
If you're looking for private counselling for a teenager in Brisbane, Home Mind Therapy provides telehealth counselling for teenagers and young adults across Brisbane and Queensland.
If you're unsure whether counselling is right for your teenager, you can arrange a free 15-minute introductory call to discuss your concerns and ask questions before booking.