Mother touting for work at the school gate [hmm]

[Benefitofthedoubt]

New mum at school. She’s some sort of counsellor or something, maybe used to be a doctor. (I couldn’t really hear what she was saying because she stopped to talk whilst we were trying to cross a busy road!)

Anyway, at least three of us now have been informed by her that if we ever need to talk she is a counsellor or psychosomething and would be willing to take us on as clients.

This is odd isn’t it? We’ve never experienced this sort of thing before. I mean we’re there to pick up our kids, not because of our mental health. Is this a common thing?

(It’s even odder because many of us are friendly after being together through Reception but she is acting as we don’t know each other. I mean she mentioned that a particular woman looked as if she wasn’t coping... that was my best friend! She copes fine!)

I'm a trained counsellor but no longer practice. This is very unorthodox and unprofessional, so I would ask for her business card and check her credentials. Although there is no statutory body that all counsellors must join (yet), unless she's a member of the BACP or NCS then she is not what I would call qualified and her training could be simply online (Groupon sells counselling training) or a couple of weekends. If she claims to be be BACP or NCS registered you can check online and personally if she is I would report her.

Erm... what the heck? Talking with strangers about her observations of “prospective clients”

What a nutter, bet she is one of those so called counsellors, with no experience, expertise or anyone to supervise them they are not endangering people.

The fact that this woman is approaching people she's going to see on an ongoing basis asking if they want her services proves that she shouldn't be offering any until she's taken a more professional code of ethics on board.

On another note, I'm delighted to discover that there is such a thing as a professional bouncy castle salesman!

I have heard of these psycho something councillors. Also can't remember the exact name. Based on my knowledge of what they did and said in session it doesn't surprise me she's happy to tout for business in the playground!

I also just clicked as interested in the business. I'm not sure this is better than the pyramid scheme I was expecting?!

eurgh, who would want a counsellor they see on the school run every day?

Perfect response to her if she asks again.

And if she talks about other mums looking as if they need help, tell her you thought counsellors were more discreet about these things?

You'll be doing her a favour putting her straight.

She probably has an NVQ 2 in head tilting 😂

I mean she mentioned that a particular woman looked as if she wasn’t coping... that was my best friend! She copes fine!)

Wow, I wouldn't want a counsellor who speculated about people I knows mental health!

She's going to become very unpopular very fast if she keeps that up. Especially the finger pointing and "she's not coping" comments. Wow. She's brave I'll give her that.

Also - I struggle to cope, probably look stressed a hell of a lot, but I'd get very defensive if someone started whispering about it to someone else on the school run! I'm no mental health professional but surely that behaviour is more likely to cause more harm than good.

I mean she mentioned that a particular woman looked as if she wasn’t coping... that was my best friend!

You say you don't want to alienate her, but that may be your best course of action ... if she'd said that to me, I wouldnt have resisted the snarky comeback along the lines of preferring to use professionals who don't make inapproproriate personal comments at the school gates.

PeoplesPoet It did cause distress to one mum. And yes, she is already unpopular with those she’s approached. She knows nothing about us! She doesn’t know that one of the dads is a doctor! (A real one!) She doesn’t know that a relative of mine works at the school!

But yes, she’s brave! Odd but brave!

That's not how counsellors find clients! Are you sure she wasn't joking?

RuffleCrow

No, she wasn’t joking. She approached more than one person. She used the fact she’s approached another person to open a conversation with me. She was very eager to tell me her qualifications (which I didn’t hear in full because of traffic) and quite frankly she was rude, not funny.

You can check if someone is (or was) a doctor. The GMC have details of all those who registered to practice and it will show it they are current or not. it will also show you where she graduated from. If you know her full name its very easy to do.

petrocellihouse If she’s agreed to it, her name will be on the class list that the school gives out. I don’t think we’ve had it for this year yet though. Not everyone puts their details on there though.

That’s unprofessional and unethical. Steer well clear.

Ethically dubious at best (speaking as a counsellor and a client). There’ll always be some poor sod who falls for her sales pitch too
Doubt that anything could be done by the school off premises (even if she is targeting people on the school run) but pretty sure our HT would go out and have a word, if it happened close enough to school here

There's no way she's a real counsellor or psychotherapist - that is not how we get clients

There is no way I could see someone I even had a passing relationship socially, it's just not done

Please look her up on BACP, UKCP or Counselling Directory if you know her name

I'm betting money she's not on there and instead has retrained as a 'life coach'

Ask her if she can read fortunes? Then say you can, and you predict she will probably get no clients touting on her own doorstep. 🙂

I agree with all the PPs that it's unprofessional and crosses boundaries, but I can't help but wonder if she's trying to get back into the world of work and make friends on the school gates at the same time.

I'm not suggesting anything different to the PPs above, except I feel rather sorry for this woman, who is clearly trying too hard

There’ll always be some poor sod who falls for her sales pitch too

A few years ago when my daughter was in ICU, that may have been me. That’s the horrible thing, trying to catch people she thinks are vulnerable. Plus we will know now what she’s doing when she’s speaking to you some will be wondering why she’s talking to you.

I’m getting annoyed about it now. Might say something on Monday.

You know she can’t be a real doctor in the way she’s implying or she’d at least have a passing notion about ethics. At best she has a doctorate in a completely unrelated academic subject. More likely a fake doctorate rewarded from some crappy 6 week on line course in juice plus or origami.

RainingFrogsAndHats I felt sorry for her at first, thought she was hard up but the more I’ve thought about it, the worse it seems.

She wasn’t even keeping her voice down when soliciting.

Anyone that desperate for clients can’t be that good.

I’d tell her straight -

“What makes you think I would reveal my inner thoughts and feelings to someone being pushy, indiscreet and unprofessional?”

Soola

Yes