Counselling to suit each boy – “Every child’s journey is different”
Psychological counselling is readily available to all students at Trinity, not only for those with neurodiverse presentations such as autism and ADHD but for a range of behavioural, social, and mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression, low motivation, and loss.
Counselling is tailored to suit individual needs and may focus on strategies to support learning, social skills, emotional regulation, or even preparation for camps or the Field Studies Residential Program in Year 9 at Woollamia.
The Field Studies program can cause angst for many boys, and this is often the case for students with neurodiversity or other complex diagnoses.
“Whilst the program challenges the boys to stretch themselves, we have had many with significant additional needs who have shown substantial growth and resilience there,” said Jessica Staniland, Director of the TESS Counselling and Psychological Service.
“The counselling team, along with professional staff at Summer Hill and Woollamia, work hard each year to collaborate with students and families to plan for their Field Studies experience.
“This ensures all students can have the opportunity to meet the challenge and access the experience in a way that may be unique to them.
“Sometimes we find that the students who are most concerned about the experience thrive with the change in environment, variation in learning approach, and the smaller-scale campus.”
During regular school life in Sydney, Trinity’s House system is credited with making sure no-one slips through the cracks.
“The one-on-one support in the House system means each student is looked after intensively by the Housemasters, who are well aware of all their pastoral needs,” said Ms Staniland.
“This oversight makes sure no-one gets missed. Our counselling staff work closely with Housemasters as well as TESS Academic Support Service, so we can address the social and emotional aspect of learning as well as the academic expectations.”
High school is a complex environment, and the expectations and demands can at times seem high. The TESS Counselling and Psychological Support Service suite at Summer Hill includes a quiet “chill-out” area which students can visit and “re-set” away from the hurly-burly of school life.
This enables students who become overwhelmed or have sensory overload during the day to take some time out.
Trinity staff can assess students for learning or mental health difficulties but do not make diagnoses; they will, however, recommend that parents seek help from external professionals if necessary.
TESS staff estimate up to 60 per cent of students seek counselling help at some time during their school life, even if it’s a “one off”.
“Many boys are very open in talking about it with their mates, while others are concerned about raising it,” said Ms Staniland.
“We are doing a lot to try to reduce stigma and encourage more willingness to talk.
“We expect a lot of students at Trinity, which is a good thing, although we provide plenty of support to go with it.
“Every child’s journey is very different, and their experience may change from month to month or year to year. The TESS Counselling team can tailor support to ensure every boy can access the full breadth of experience within Trinity, even if it is in a slightly different way.”
