'Time To Talk' Primary school counselling

[stickybun]

DD (9) got pamphlet today addressed to children aged 9, 10 & 11 re. counselling (all kids had one). Cartoon pictures of sad/angry faces etc..saying that if you need to talk can use counselling service. Emphasised that no details are given to anyone (parents inc..) and that as well as listening and chatting the counsellor may suggest 'activities that will help' and that sessions can go on for a number of weeks. Think that 'listening ear' service can be helpful for some kids but am concerned that there is a suggestion of various interventions - this suggests to me that there is a diagnostic/ psychotherapy thing going on. Fine if needed but we have not been told anything about the service (i.e. do not know the name of this person, what their qualifications or experience are etc.) From the leaflet this would imply that your 9 year old child could have 6 weekly 40 min sessions and you would not be told about it. Realise that for some kids this could be a good thing but maybe not for all. Would you be concerned? Or is this par for the course? Have heard that there are cases of students going into schools in Herts.. Anyone know anything?

Our primary school has done this for years, seems to work very well.

In our school any counselling was done by the school counsellor (who went between different schools), not by an agency from outside. Dd had counselling for a bit to come to terms with her disability. Don't remember if I had to agree to it first or not. Her friends, whose Mum is terminally ill, have had ongoing counselling.

What was said in the sessions was strictly confidential, so dd did not tell me about it (she would have been allowed but was told she didn't have to). I felt this was a safe place where she could talk about aspects of her situation which might upset me. (Even more so for the children with the dying Mum- there must be loads of things they can't talk about at home and don't want her to know).

In the event, dd didn't get a lot out of these sessions as the counsellor had no experience of her particular problems, so she got more from the hospital counsellor. Very similar approach though.

'activities that will help' will probably be things like basic relaxation exercises, nothing at all invasive; dd had to breathe deeply and visualise a square when trying to get to sleep or threatened by a panic attack

Thanks that is reassuring - just a bit concerned about vagueness and lack of information. Think I might try to find out a bit more about what they do tho' - will go and dig out old psychology notes so can interrogate them properly!