Should school counsellors in uk give some sort of feedback to parents re how to support at home?

[loulou1979]

My 14 year old has just finished a series of counselling sessions. The sessions are naturally confidential but is it not a bit odd for the sessions to finish and for me to receive no communication from the school at all? My daughter said the school therapist had said she should go to camhs for further help but she hasnt contacted me at all. I’ve emailed and they said due to confidentiality they can’t tell me very much. My daughters had the only 6 sessions they will allocate but is still struggling with anxiety. I feel like they think I’m just a nosy Karen but when my son went to camhs about his ocd we did receive advice from the counsellor and that was nhs too 🤷🏻‍♀️

You could get your DD to tell them it's okay to discuss with you, if she's willing to that is.

Hi, I'm sorry to hear about your experience with CAMHS ( I really hope things improve for you soon :)

Nevertheless I hope this message finds you well!

I am a 3rd year undergraduate psychology conducting research on the lived experience of CAMHS. The study's aim is to hopefully give voice to experiences in CAMHS to promote better understanding which can inform positive change in CAMHS.

As part of this research project, I'm looking to find parents of children who have or are currently accessing CAMHS to take part in a 30-minute interview and I would like to invite you to take part!

If you are interested, please reply to this message and I can send you further information,/ my email.

If not, have a lovely day and I hope things look up from now,

Skye.

In my experience with outside of school counsellors they will either get you to sit in (NHS CFS service. Various private therapists) or keep you informed in the last 5 mins.

However, school counsellors may or may not have any qualifications. At my last school the chaplain was used as a counsellor despite having no qualifications.

They also don't know you at all, and you are not the client.

If she's Gillick Competent (which is most likely at age 13) she can consent to her own sessions and you should only be involved if she asks and consents for you to be.

Your daughter is the client, so her confidentiality is paramount. She could ask them to share with you if she feels it would be helpful, but if she doesn't want that then it won't happen.

Thanks for your replies. That does make sense, it’s just hard as a mum not really knowing how to help her and if the counselling has helped. My DD said the school counsellor told her to continue talking to someone perhaps via camhs. So I don’t know if I need to make the
referall or the context of what the counsellors actually said as my daughter only tells me bits and pieces