Up until a few decades ago, school counsellors were predominantly engaged in vocational guidance and less commonly with student mental health and wellbeing support (Shillingford, Reference Shillingford2013). In addition, there was a significant disparity between the number of adolescents who needed psychological help and those who sought it, possibly due to fear of embarrassment, lack of confidentiality, or the stigma associated with accessing mental health support within schools (Tatar, Reference Tatar2001). More recently, however, the Young Minds Matter Report in 2015 found that young people are accessing mental health support regardless of whether they have a diagnosable mental illness or not (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2016; Telethon Kids Institute, 2015). This contributes to a growing demand on counsellors working in schools with adolescents. It also results in an anomaly.
On the one hand, school counsellors are now encouraged to promote their role as one of mental health support and student advocacy and to ‘come out of the shadows of the nice counsellor and be more visible and vocal in their schools’ (Shillingford, Reference Shillingford2013, p. 499). They are expected to provide expanded services (Shillingford, Reference Shillingford2013), such as often taking on a leadership role in the event of a student suicide and using their training in prevention and postvention strategies to manage risks such as suicide contagion (Fineran, Reference Fineran2012). In Australia in 2018, suicide was the leading cause of death for children between 5 and 17 years of age (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2019), and more than three-quarters of child suicides occurred between the ages 15 and 17 (78.0%). Furthermore, in recent times, with more access to the internet and online social media sites, school counsellors are now also needed ‘to act as agents of social justice in schools to prevent cyberbullying’ which has ‘adverse social, physical, and emotional impacts for victims’ (Elbedour et al., Reference Elbedour, Alqahtani, El Sheikh Rihan, Bawalsah, Booker-Ammah and Turner2020, p. 1). Despite such a strong need for mental health support in schools, the school counsellor’s role in this area sometimes takes a back seat to their other duties (Joyce Ivy Foundation, 2008, 2009), such as administration and management of disciplinary problems (McKillip, Rawls, & Barry, Reference McKillip, Rawls and Barry2012).
Even though as far back as 1972 when Donald Hays wrote an article entitled ‘Counselor — What Are You Worth?’, a current literature review has indicated that there continues to be a lack of clarity around the function of a school counsellor who, in dealing with suicide and other serious issues, risks their own wellbeing (Fineran, Reference Fineran2012). Hays (Reference Hays1972) stated that ‘counselors should concentrate and accomplish first those activities for which they have primary responsibility, and they need to be given the time and facilities to do it’ (p. 310). He went on to urge that ‘In general, we know what we want to do, as well as what needs to be done … What we need are operational objectives that are specific — can be accomplished within a time space framework — and that are measurable’ (p. 310).
Geesa et al., (Reference Geesa, Mayes, Lowery, Quick, Boyland, Kim, Elam and McDonald2020) acknowledge a gap in training and research regarding school counsellor-principal collaboration, and they likewise underscore the importance of partnerships with other stakeholders. They state that ‘School counselor-principal (SCP) collaboration can promote positive school cultures where students reach academic goals, are emotionally healthy, and are prepared for postsecondary opportunities’ (p. 1). It seems well overdue and therefore crucial that a better understanding of the current situation for counsellors in Australian schools is achieved not only to ascertain whether counsellors ‘feel mattered’ (Curry & Bickmore, Reference Curry and Bickmore2012, p. 110) but because ‘Society has placed upon schools the responsibility of accomplishing certain tasks and functions to aid in the growth and development of young people’ (Hays, Reference Hays1972, p. 312). As part of that educational structure and as accountable professionals, it behooves the profession to understand their objectives and whether they are being achieved, and at the same time, to trumpet that the counsellor ‘is worth something — not only to himself and his counselee, but to society as well’ (Hays, Reference Hays1972, p. 312). Therefore, it seems obligatory to investigate the research question being asked in this study: What are the experiences of school counsellors working with adolescents in the school system?
Literature Overview
It became apparent when reviewing the literature that the information available on school counsellors is quite narrow in focus and limited in scope. There appeared to be three main areas of investigation: School counsellors work most effectively using a multidisciplinary approach, even though this can be challenging (Nordahl, Beran, & Dittrick, Reference Nordahl, Beran and Dittrick2013); they derive personal fulfilment from successful outcomes to their practice and from building rapport with their clients/students (Gilat & Rosenau, Reference Gilat and Rosenau2012; Guttman & Daniels, Reference Guttman and Daniels2001; Kottler, Reference Kottler1993); and they have the ability to achieve change resulting in increased mental health within the school community (Shillingford, Reference Shillingford2013; Shillingford & Lambie, Reference Shillingford and Lambie2010).
However, school counsellors have also been reported to experience feelings of disempowerment and devaluation when working in the mental health field. For example, they feel out of their depth dealing with the challenges of the digital age (Gallo, Rausch, Smith, & Wood, Reference Gallo, Rausch, Smith and Wood2016). Christianson and Everall (Reference Christianson and Everall2009) looked at eight school counsellors’ experiences with suicide across varied school settings in Canada, not restricted to public or private arenas. It was noted that despite their close contact with youth, school counsellors were left feeling frustrated and angry after dealing with mental health professionals external to the school environment. This frustration was in addition to intense reactions on discovery of their clients’ deaths. School counsellors noted they felt undervalued by the community, who referred to them as just school counsellors. The counsellors also reported feelings of shame and guilt, and experienced complicated bereavement, as well as feeling and being perceived as incompetent practitioners.
Additionally, Atanasov (Reference Atanasov2016, p. 89), in a phenomenological study on the lived experiences of school counsellors in determining serious and foreseeable harm in cases of student substance abuse, found that confidentiality can cause school counsellors anxiety as a result of feeling ‘weighed down’ by both having to hold onto such important information and as a result of poorly defined job expectations. Similarly, Falls and Nichter (Reference Falls and Nichter2007) in a qualitative study on the lived experience of job stress of high school counsellors, reported that school counsellors experience job stress through role ambiguity, role conflict and lack of involvement of school counsellors in decision-making processes that impact on student emotional wellbeing. Chronic job stress was also found in Nelson, Robles-Pina, and Nichter’s (Reference Nelson, Robles-Pina and Nichter2008) qualitative study that focused on the actual and preferred counselling activities of high school counsellors in Texas. The concept of the ‘Non-Counselling Counsellor’ (p. 31) emerged from the fact that many school counsellors perform tasks that are unrelated to counselling but would personally prefer to be performing counselling-related activities. However, the study also found that as a result of being overloaded with clerical and administrative tasks, and experiencing role ambiguity and role conflict, school counsellors suffer from chronic job stress.
To conclude, it was noticeable that even though there are studies investigating the lived experiences of school counsellors in the literature, they were rather limited and were specific to geographical regions or to specific issues a counsellor may face. The aim, therefore, was to conduct a phenomenological study exploring school counsellor’s experiences and reflections on their professional practice within the school system.
Methodology
Design
The study adopted a qualitative, phenomenological approach, as the intention was to gain knowledge grounded in human experience (Sandelowski, Reference Sandelowski2004) in the here-and-now (Kleinberg, Reference Kleinberg2015) rather than to emphasise quantification, deduction, or objectivism (Bryman, Reference Bryman2016, p. 694). The aim was to capture the lived experience of school counsellors who presently work with adolescents, to see their perspective of the current situation in existence in Australian schools, and to provide ‘thick’ description, detail and contextual understanding of the profession and the response in schools to adolescent mental health needs (Bryman, Reference Bryman2016, pp. 392–395).
Participants
The inclusion criteria required participants to be currently employed as school counsellors working with adolescents. There was one more female than male participants, which is interesting as recent statistics of the school counsellor profession show that in metropolitan areas of New South Wales (NSW) in the public system there is a female to male ratio of 81:19 (Earle, Reference Earle2017). The final cohort of recruited participants is represented in Table 1.
Table 1. Summary of Participants in the Study
Materials
Semistructured interviews were based upon prompt questions covering the following topics: (1) Working with the adolescent client, (2) Highs and lows of the school counsellor’s role, (3) Relationship with the various stakeholders, and (4) Student issues they had faced.
Procedure
This study received approval from the Navitas Professional Institute Human Research Ethics Committee (NPI HREC), and all aspects of the procedure followed in accordance with the ethical standards demanded by them.
A request for approval to send out an email circular to recruit school counsellors had been sent to various independent schools in Sydney, NSW. Once permission was granted by the governing authorities and the NPI HREC, school counsellors received the email circular containing the inclusion criteria. Potential participants who signalled their interest in participating were sent a comprehensive information package and consent form. Respondents were instructed to read through the information package and return the consent form if they wished to schedule an interview.
Seven semistructured interviews lasting between 45 to 60 minutes were audio-recorded on Skype or Zoom. Participants were assured that they were not obliged to answer any question that made them feel uncomfortable in any way; that their answers could be as in-depth or as succinct as they wished; and that they were able to withdraw at any time before, during or after the interview up until 2 weeks after they received their interview transcript for validation. On concluding the interview, participants were provided with a list of support services they could access if needed.
Analytic Strategy
Once a confidentiality agreement had been organised with a reputable transcription service, interview recordings were sent to them for transcribing. The transcripts were then emailed to the participants who were given two weeks to validate them, ask for amendments, or request that they be withdrawn. All the participants approved of the transcripts. At this point, analysis of the data could begin. The transcripts were coded using open, axial and selective coding methods (Amandeep & Ghorbani, Reference Amandeep and Ghorbani2014; Boeije, Reference Boeije2009). Codes were sorted in an iterative process to form categories from which were developed the final themes and subthemes, shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Summary of Themes and Subthemes
Trustworthiness
It was necessary to ensure, and now to illustrate, the trustworthiness of this qualitative study (Shenton, Reference Shenton2004), although, by virtue of its interpretative nature, this cannot be achieved in the same manner as it would for a quantitative research study. In fact, Hadi and Closs (Reference Hadi and Closs2016) state that ‘the issue of “judging the quality” in qualitative research has been one of the most debated topics among methodologists and until recently there has been little consensus on what constitutes a good and trustworthy qualitative study’ (p. 641).
As has already been mentioned, the aim of this study was to obtain rich and in-depth phenomenological data from the counsellors themselves. The intention was never to provide reliability, internal validity, objectivity and generalisability in a positivist, statistical or correlational manner (Braun & Clarke, Reference Braun and Clarke2013; Hadi & Closs, Reference Hadi and Closs2016). Instead, in keeping with the theoretical and paradigmatic underpinnings of the project, strategies will be described that were used to ensure the corresponding alternative terminologies used to measure the trustworthiness of qualitative research: dependability, credibility, conformability and transferability (Hadi & Closs, Reference Hadi and Closs2016, pp. 641–642).
At the outset, it must be mentioned that the researcher is himself a school counsellor (Trondsen & Sandaunet, Reference Trondsen and Sandaunet2009). To increase reflexivity, to reduce impartiality, and to examine and consciously acknowledge and withhold bias, preconceptions and assumptions, the researcher kept a reflexive journal throughout the study (Lincoln & Guba, Reference Lincoln and Guba1985) to note and scrutinise responses and cognitions (Malterud, Reference Malterud2001). The researcher also debriefed and maintained regular contact with the chief investigator and supervisor (Dervin, Zweizig, Banister, Gabriel, & Kwan, Reference Dervin, Zweizig, Banister, Gabriel and Kwan1976) and by so doing, increased interrater consistency (Bryman, Reference Bryman2016). As a sidenote, it could well be argued that through ‘his prolonged participation in the social life of the group over a long period of time he was able to develop congruence between concepts and observations’ (Bryman, Reference Bryman2016, p. 384).
By nature of its qualitative design, the degree to which a study of this nature can be replicated entirely is minimal. As Bryman (Reference Bryman2016, p. 383) states, it is impossible to ‘freeze’ a social setting, and therefore, by implication, to ‘freeze’ or reproduce conversations with participants. As this study was conducted as part of a Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy degree, the timeframe was strictly limited. As a result, the number of participants was expectedly small, and the study did not include participants from a wide range of different school systems. The researcher only obtained approval to access school counsellors within two school networks in NSW, narrowing the results in focus and scope geographically and socio-economically. All the participants worked in city areas except for one participant who worked in a school in a low socio-economic community. However, the important aspect is as Bryman (Reference Bryman2016) points out that
Because qualitative research typically entails the intensive study of a small group, or of individuals sharing certain characteristics (i.e., depth rather than the breadth, which is the preoccupation in quantitative research), qualitative findings tend to be oriented to the contextual uniqueness and significance of the aspect of the social world being studied (p. 384).
In fact, the number of participants as sources of data, their individual, rich and authentic contributions (i.e., thick descriptions), the member checking that was undertaken, with all participants responding positively and not requesting any amendments to be made to their transcripts, as well as the immersion of both the researcher and supervisor in its iterative analysis, is indicative of triangulation leading to increased credibility and transferability (Hadi & Closs, Reference Hadi and Closs2016, p. 644). In addition. there is most decidedly a clear and transparent audit trail of the process of data collection and its analysis, further enabling the reader ‘to make their own judgements about the quality, transferability and worth’ (Hadi & Closs, Reference Hadi and Closs2016, p. 643) of the study.
Results
As has been mentioned previously, the data were coded then sorted in an iterative process to form categories by determining relationships between the concepts. Finally, those that were determined core categories, meaning that ‘a lot of other categories are linked to it’ and are ‘the heart of the analysis’ (Boeije, Reference Boeije2009, p. 116) were further developed into themes and subthemes. Four key themes emerged from this data process: ‘Perspectives on the role of school counsellor’, ‘Opportunities and obstacles’, ‘Student mental health’ and ‘Important relationships’. These are ordered, as can be seen in Table 2, to provide a coherent story and a clear answer to the research question. As stated by Boeije (Reference Boeije2009):
Instead of the chronological order in which the data were originally collected, the data now stand in the order implied by the data and the research questions … When the analysis provides a fresh, theoretical look at the phenomenon under study, the findings might be a source of inspiration and an invitation for the reader to think about and pose questions about the meanings of the findings. (p.118)
Theme 1: Perspectives on the Role of School Counsellor
This theme reports how the school counsellors described their role, not only from their perspective, but also their understanding of the perspectives of other stakeholders. This theme contains three subthemes: ‘Role ambiguity’, ‘Skills and therapeutic interventions’ and ‘Advocacy’.
Role ambiguity
The accounts of the participants show that the role description of the school counsellor varies between schools. It appears that it is at the discretion of the school’s line management to determine the school counsellor’s duties and responsibilities, which results in a lack of clarity around the role. As Angelo stated, after asking a teacher colleague for support with a student, the teacher had exclaimed, ‘Oh no, you deal with the serious stuff, I deal with overall wellbeing.’ Elizabeth said that school counsellors might at times be asked by teachers to ‘see every kid who’s crying’ and, in fact, according to Betty, who explained that she is also responsible for staff counselling: ‘The principal and deputy probably … would be in support of us supporting whoever we can as we can … because we don’t have an EAP [Employee Assistance Program] in place.’
Skills and therapeutic interventions
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was one of the modalities considered to be effective in the treatment of the adolescent client. Mark discussed his view of the success of CBT, stating that 70% of his student clients have had successful treatment. Participants also stated that they needed to draw upon case management skills. According to Emma, school counsellors need to have a balance between clinical work and case management skills:
So, I think finding that line, and recognising that our role doesn’t always involve doing massively clinical work but does involve doing a lot of case managing … But having the professional understanding of where we begin and end, I think, is really important.
Positive psychology was also something schools were beginning to explore, incorporating models such as those of KidsMatter (2016) and MindMatters (2015). These frameworks have now been replaced by the Be You initiative (Early Childhood Australia, 2020). Be You is led by Beyond Blue in partnership with Early Childhood Australia and headspace and funded by the Australian government. Frank explained that these programs value engagement and relationships, which ‘flow into the activities all the kids are doing’. Mark expressed a desire for this type of model in their school as it would be a more ‘proactive approach towards mental health’ rather than ‘dealing with problems, like breakdown’.
Advocacy
The idea of student advocacy emerged from the interviews as a strong responsibility that participants felt they had to uphold as school counsellors. All the participants shared that they felt the role of student advocacy is needed in many contexts, that is, for an adolescent at home, at school, between students, and even towards staff members. Frank said: ‘Advocacy is a really important role that we need to have, that people need to advocate for the voiceless, or for the kids who are judged pretty quickly by elderly people within the education system.’ Emma commented on advocating for a student in their home: ‘I think sometimes we are the spokesperson for a child who is not able to say something to their parents themselves.’
Theme 2: Opportunities and Obstacles
This theme captures the personal and professional opportunities of the school counsellor’s role and the obstacles school counsellors face. This theme consists of five subthemes: ‘Ivory tower’, ‘School approach to mental health’, ‘Highs’, ‘Lows’ and ‘Dealing with the digital adolescent’.
Ivory tower
This subtheme emerged from a direct quote from a participant, referring to the strong obstacle school counsellors have to combat, that is, a school counsellor’s sense of isolation in schools, which had been experienced by six out of the seven participants at some point during their careers. The consensus was that this can stem from a lack of awareness from school staff about how a school counsellor can help an adolescent’s wellbeing. The participants believed that it should be the responsibility of both the school counsellor and the school staff to ensure that the school counsellors are utilised effectively, understood, and in turn, are accepted by the school community. Emma explained that among the school leadership team ‘there is almost a fear, I think, in some schools, that if we give the school psychologists too much of a reign, then they’re going to sit in their ivory tower and do some hocus pocus’. Frank discussed the idea of the isolation of school counsellors and how they are marginalised. He said they do so much behind the scenes and that the crucial support they are responsible for, and the confidentiality they offer, is not known: ‘I think counsellors are the crucial support system within a school, and I think our role is often misunderstood … because a lot is done behind the scenes, no one really knows what’s going on.’
School approach to mental health
Additionally, participants suggested or argued that schools need to be clear on what their specific approach is to mental health in order that they could promote mental health prevention, as Mark commented: ‘So I still feel we are sometimes on the back foot. And I think what would be better is if there was a variation in teachers’ approaches to mental health and if there was a whole school kind of umbrella.’ Elizabeth commented on her school struggling with how to effectively implement an approach to mental health that balances mental health and wellbeing with school requirements such as testing and examinations: ‘And for our school we’re wrangling with how you change that functionally. How do you take emphasis off schools and tests and exams and put it on individual growth and thinking?’
Highs
Participants described the school counselling profession as an opportunity for their own sense of self-fulfillment with a strong sense of privilege. Mark commented on the rewarding element of effective treatment: ‘So completing a treatment plan and actually seeing measurable differences … that’s probably the most rewarding part of the job.’ It was evident that there is great enjoyment in dealing with the adolescent client, as Grace commented: ‘I enjoy their naivety. They come in and they’re so innocent … there’s something really refreshing about working with someone who’s still really young and has a lot of hopes and a lot of dreams.’
Lows
Five out of the seven participants agreed that the obstacles they face are not the adolescent clients but other factors pertinent to the adolescent, such as their life at home or their peers or teachers. Mary commented on the students’ surrounding environment: ‘What would be challenging is their problem. They’re going back to domestic violence. That’s hard, not the actual individual.’ Additionally, some school counsellors have an extensive caseload and find it difficult to prioritise student issues, as Betty described:
I think it’s [difficult] prioritising students, because whatever the student is dealing with and going through is valid, and their feelings are valid. At the same time, I might have some students that are having issues within friendships, versus others that are having persistent suicidal thoughts.
Dealing with the digital adolescent
Participants reported that the digital adolescent is a rather challenging new aspect of mental health for school counsellors. Frank commented on the sense of isolation of the adolescent and the difficulties he faces in his clinical work when adults, too, succumb to the power of digital technology and social media:
The big one for me, and I’ve noticed this over the years, is technology. More and more kids are becoming isolated, even though they’re more connected socially … and not that it’s just kids, it’s also adults. They don’t give good role-modelling there.
Emma, on the other hand, noted the benefits of social media on mental health: ‘We’ve had experiences here at school where it’s only because of social media that we’ve become aware of a boy who was suicidal.’ Elizabeth noted the struggle parents are facing with their children around setting boundaries on social media and its usage: ‘I think they find it really, really hard to actually get off their social media, and I actually think that parents don’t have nearly enough of a backbone.’
Theme 3: Student Mental Health
This theme depicts the participants’ views of the current state of the mental health world for students and includes three subthemes: ‘Stigma and lack of understanding’, ‘Mental health concerns’ and ‘Supporting mental health’.
Stigma and lack of understanding
Participants reported they continue to combat stigma and a lack of understanding regarding mental health from parents, school staff and students, which can render treatment of adolescents rather difficult and complex. Grace commented on students’ feelings of shame: ‘I know that often there’s a lot of stigma attached to coming to the counsellor. A lot of the kids are quite ashamed to be there.’ Mary expressed how mental health issues such as a teen struggling with their own sexuality can be disregarded by parents and teachers through comments such as: ‘Anxiety is a fad for a teen to pull off. How do they know they’re gay? They don’t know. They’re only 14. There’s no such thing, they’ll get over it.’ Mary also shared that this lack of understanding could come from top management as well:
But you just generally find that 75-year-old principals don’t get depression in youths. ‘When I was a boy, this was never a problem.’ Of course, it’s not a problem when no one’s talking about it. Or if your particular circumstances didn’t involve mental health or you got persecuted for identifying as being gay.
Betty recounted her experience with a year advisor who minimised the emotional impact of a student who had been estranged from his mother after a tumultuous divorce. ‘“Ah yes,” she said, “but it’s been like that for a long time.” Almost like, “Well he should be used to it by now.” But you’re like, that’s huge. That could really have a lifelong impact on that kid.’
Mental health concerns
Within a school and a school counsellor’s clinical work, the participants reported dealing with a wide range of mental health concerns. Mark commenting on this point said:
It’s a mixed bag … we get everything. Self-harm is a big one. I think there’s a wave of eating disorders, but they go beyond me, so I’ll refer out someone with an eating disorder because I don’t have training in that area. Quite a lot of anxiety, sometimes depression. Grief is another big one. Yes, I think they are the main biggies and then I guess for year 12, it’s often stress management.
Emma held the view that school counsellors are exposed to a broad spectrum of mental health concerns and continue to battle with school staff on the importance of these issues:
You name it. They bring it. Think of an issue, and I’ve dealt with it. Quite seriously, everything from parents who are dying, to kids experimenting with drugs, to peer issues, study issues. Anything that happens in an adolescent’s life. Nothing surprises me anymore. I don’t think you can put an end to what those issues would be.
Supporting mental health
The results showed that mental health support offered by the school staff and parents varied from school to school; however, the counsellors indicated that support for working with mental health issues was growing, and they felt positive. Elizabeth commented on the support counsellors receive in her school: ‘Our principal is incredibly supportive of the counselling staff here.’ Another participant found the support from parents to be the most present: ‘Ah look, parents, I find they’re the greatest supporters of all this.’
Frank described the growing awareness of the school counsellor role: ‘I think it’s like a growing balloon, that it’s getting bigger and bigger … I think more and more people are aware of the need that schools need to be an agency to provide support for kids.’ Emma commented that she works on building her relationship with teachers to gain their support: ‘I usually get teachers on board. Again, I spend a lot of time developing relationships with teachers. I make sure I sit in a common room and eat lunch with people.’
Theme 4: Important Relationships
At the core of a school counsellor’s role lies the wide range of necessary relationships to be formed, which according to school counsellors are fundamental to an adolescent’s therapeutic treatment. These relationships, however, can either aid or inhibit successful treatment. This theme is defined by three subthemes: ‘Trust and confidentiality’, ‘Family support and influence’ and ‘Collaboration’.
Trust and confidentiality
First and foremost, most participants stressed the importance of trust and confidentiality in building a strong rapport with adolescents, which Emma described as fundamental in the therapeutic alliance: ‘That if you develop that trust right at the beginning, then I think that’s what makes all the difference.’ Frank also emphasised the importance of trust in the figure of the school counsellor: ‘I’ve been here a long time, so kids know me, so therefore there’s a real trust, that they know that if they come to see me that I’m going to do something about it.’
Family support and influence
All interviewees agreed that family support is of utmost importance in an adolescent’s healing. Four out of the seven participants agreed that there is more support in general from parents than from teachers, but that this varies from school to school. For example, Emma explained that she sees herself as only a part of what can help an adolescent in need of mental health support. ‘It’s part of my practice,’ she said, ‘that I very heavily involve parents. Because I do believe that I am a very small cog, in a very big wheel.’
On the other hand, Betty stated that she does not engage in family therapy, especially if the child is ‘older’. In fact, she said, parent contact is limited to either when it is time to make an outside referral or in a time of need or crisis. Her view was that:
Some parents are great … and others are just, at least appear to be disinterested, and don’t offer their kids the support that they need … The only contact I might have with a parent is to call them and say, your child’s suicidal, or is self-harming.
Mark also commented on parental expectations and the difficulties this can cause for an adolescent. He said that ‘the student might have a very realistic understanding of their capacity, and their willingness to work harder, and their parents might want them to get a 99.9 ATAR. That can be very, very tough for the student.’
Collaboration
In order to achieve the best possible outcome with an adolescent who is seeking support, participants were highly in favour of working collaboratively with the range of stakeholders involved in the adolescent’s life. This is illustrated in a comment made by Mary, who said that ‘real change when everyone’s on board, is phenomenal. It’s absolutely phenomenal’. Betty, however, shared how often counsellors had different perspectives of a student’s experience and situation to other members of staff:
I said well she’s being bullied. She was bullied at the last school. She’s come here, and she’s being bullied. Oh, but she’s done this, this, and this. I’m like, yes, because she is probably desperately trying to make friends. She doesn’t quite know how to go about it. She’s trying to be assertive.
Mark was firmly of the belief that counsellors need to be part of a team as opposed to working as an individual:
We’re a good support service within the school. And I think the teachers would validate that, you know, the kids are well looked after … but I mean, that’s the beauty of having a counselling team rather than just a counselling individual.
Discussion
This study investigated the research question: What are the experiences of school counsellors working with adolescents in the school system? An analysis of the in-depth accounts of seven school counsellors in NSW resulted in the emergence of four main themes: perspectives on the role of the school counsellor, opportunities and obstacles, student mental health, and important relationships. This outcome will now be considered alongside the results of previous research in this area.
Consistent with the literature, the results showed that the role descriptions of the school counsellors varied, depending on the school’s executive team. The previously mentioned quantitative study by Nelson et al. (Reference Nelson, Robles-Pina and Nichter2008) explored the differences between the actual and preferred activities of high school counsellors in Texas and found that counsellors reported actually engaging ‘in less counselling, consultation, curriculum and coordination activities than they would prefer’ (p. 30). Likewise, in this study some of the interviewees reported being significantly, and less happily, involved in discipline and administration, while others acted solely as counsellors in their schools. The range of different responses around job descriptions suggests that there remains ambiguity around the role of the school counsellor. Amatea and Clark (Reference Amatea and Clark2005) posit that this uncertainty has emerged alongside the gradual development of this profession from one of administration to one of leadership and advocacy.
Again mirroring previous findings, the participants reported that they derived great satisfaction from the relationship they were able to build with an adolescent (Gilat & Rosenau, Reference Gilat and Rosenau2012; Guttman & Daniels, Reference Guttman and Daniels2001; Kottler, Reference Kottler1993), that it was a privilege working therapeutically with them and that this contributed to their professional and personal fulfilment, especially when there were successful or effective treatment results.
While previous studies have reported that to help adolescents most effectively, school counsellors need to be supported and respected by the principal and school community (Young, Dollarhide, & Baughman, Reference Young, Dollarhide and Baughman2015), this study indicated that participants found their adolescent students less challenging than other stakeholders. They described relationships with parents and school staff to be specifically the most difficult part of their clinical work due to the power these groups hold over the school counsellor’s role. Although participants recognised the importance of partnerships to help adolescents therapeutically (Bryan & Griffin, Reference Bryan and Griffin2010), they also described how tangled this web can become because of power differences and misconceptions of mental health issues. While participants highlighted trust and confidentiality in their clinical work as fundamental to building a relationship with their adolescent students (Kottler & Shepard, Reference Kottler and Shepard2014), they felt that trust and confidentiality can be challenged or at times compromised by the various stakeholders who lack understanding of mental health issues but have positions of authority in the adolescent’s life.
This confirms an apparent, and ongoing, link between stigma and a lack of understanding that school counsellors appear to be confronted with on a regular basis. Kranke, Floersch, Townsend, and Munson (Reference Kranke, Floersch, Townsend and Munson2010) argue that stigma emerges from two sources: family perception and the school environment. In keeping with this viewpoint, the data collected in this study identified the need for school counsellors not only to advocate for the student within the school community, to staff and students alike, but beyond the confines of the school to their families and even external agencies. This result also mirrors the research of Dahir (Reference Dahir2009), which highlighted the importance of social justice advocacy on a more holistic level.
It has been suggested in the literature that school counsellors need to exhibit professional pride by presenting their work in a proactive manner within the school community (Shimoni & Greenberger, Reference Shimoni and Greenberger2015) and to make their presence known throughout the school, rather than working behind the scenes or in isolation. This, it is stated, can increase professional satisfaction (Sumerlin & Littrell, Reference Sumerlin and Littrell2011) and synergetic relationships within the school community, as well as strengthen support for the role of school counsellors as agents of change. However, on the other hand, as was evident in this study, research has shown that this becomes a difficult task for the counsellor who often operates as the sole promoter within a school community, and that assistance is needed from other stakeholders to help counsellors gain respect within the school community. Mental health literacy is not only lacking among parents, but according to Bowers, Manion, Papadopoulos, and Gauvreau (Reference Bowers, Manion, Papadopoulos and Gauvreau2013), among adolescents as well. By not understanding the value of mental health support, students are prevented from accessing counselling services. Thus, additional support and psychoeducation groups in schools seem vital to assist counsellors in promoting mental health awareness.
The participants identified CBT and positive psychology as the two predominant therapeutic modalities incorporated in their practice. Family-based interventions that are also known to be effective in the therapeutic treatment of adolescents (Kaslow, Broth, Smith, & Collins, Reference Kaslow, Broth, Smith and Collins2012) were not explicitly mentioned as primary therapeutic modalities in the practice of the school counsellors interviewed in this study. In fact, contact with parents at times seemed to be limited to phone calls when suggesting outside referrals or in times of need or crisis. It is also important to note that the counsellors were mainly psychologists and did not have specific family therapy training. Whether or not it should be mandatory for school counsellors to have family therapy training is a question for further research.
This study was able to provide further insight into the use of social media and technology in an adolescent’s life and sheds light on the difficulties parents face when dealing with an adolescent’s use of digital media. School counsellors work with the growing attachment of students to social media and find it difficult to manage, even though some counsellors discussed the potential benefits of social media, mainly when it is used as an outlet for an adolescent to seek support from friends in times of need. Radovic, Gmelin, Stein, and Miller (Reference Radovic, Gmelin, Stein and Miller2017) found that a large risk factor when using social media is the unpredictability of encountering negative experiences online; however, this study highlighted that school counsellors were more concerned about the negative experiences that can occur from poor parental modelling of digital media usage and the lack of authority parents possess over their children when it comes to technology.
Recommendations for Future Research
Further studies into the impact of the school’s leadership team on the school counselling role could facilitate the development of the role in such a way that is more beneficial to adolescents and to the school community. Further research could explore the precedence psychologists are given over counsellors in schools and what strategies are needed by counsellors and their associations to combat this imbalance and to make the role more standardised. In addition, Clemens, Milsom, and Cashwell (Reference Clemens, Milsom and Cashwell2009) found that the relationship between a school counsellor and the school administrator is extremely important in determining the level of job satisfaction. Further studies could investigate the experiences of school counsellors working with their school administrators and the impact this has on them personally, professionally, and on the services they are providing to adolescents and their families.
In this study, concerns pertaining to a school counsellor working with staff, parents and students regarding the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and other sexuality (LGBTI+) population were raised but need to be further researched. Beck (Reference Beck2016) discusses how educational partnerships are valuable in helping LGBTI+ students. Particularly, since the recent passing of the law allowing same-sex marriages, Australia’s current climate and what school counsellors are experiencing in relation to this, points to the need for increased and improved school support programs for LGBTI+ students, in which a school counsellor could be directly involved in order to increase acceptance and tolerance within their school communities.
Further studies could explore what training programs school counsellors need specifically to improve the services they are offering to students. Family therapy training has already been identified. Currently, in Australia, there are a few courses specific to school counsellor training, but there are still a wide range of courses in counselling, social work and psychology that do not target the needs of school counsellors specifically. Additionally, as Goodman-Scott (Reference Goodman-Scott2015) argues, academic preparedness for courses in school counselling historically lack consistency and standardisation, and school counsellors need more support and consistent training specialising in school counselling before entering a school system.
Conclusions
The results of the present research indicate that as a result of the inconsistent nature of the role of the school counsellor within each individual school, there is confusion around what the role specifically entails. In addition, this continues to be challenged by the various impacts the stakeholders have on a school counsellor. Over time this has led to role ambiguity, a lack of mental health awareness by staff, students and parents, misunderstandings around the function of the school counsellor, and different political or power agendas in schools, placing more importance on the leadership team and on the teachers. This shift of focus results in counsellors being ineffectively restricted to their ivory towers.
Even though school counsellors are gradually gaining more recognition in schools, they continue to face many challenges to provide effective adolescent treatment. These challenges mainly arise because of the way the role is perceived and utilised, and by the difficulty to find a supportive team of school staff that is in line with mental health initiatives.
Based upon the comments of participants, the level of collaboration and support does not appear to be consistent across all schools due to a lack of mental health awareness. Counsellors do not appear to have standardised protocols across all schools. Each counsellor seems to have a different way of reporting, booking appointments, contacting parents, and reaching out to students.
School counsellors report being forced to be responsible for their own self-promotion; thus, there is a need for greater advocacy from school staff. Counsellors and their associations can help to facilitate promotion and advocacy through promotional strategies within school systems. They also find their jobs to be highly rewarding and face most challenges when dealing with the stakeholders involved, although this does vary from school to school. Some school counsellors continue to feel devalued in their roles and are striving to improve the climate of mental health support in schools. This would improve the wellbeing of the adolescents, which can be compromised when school staff and parents are at odds with the work of a school counsellor.
Finally, school counsellors need support beyond the schools themselves. A major issue is that though similar or even parallel services are offered in schools, the practitioners have to answer to different governing bodies. The call is for counselling associations to intervene to promote counsellors and to support their endeavours to standardise and unify counselling practice in schools.
