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School-Based Counselling Service Use: A Year in the Life of a School Counselling Department

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2016

Matt O'Connor  and
Joseph Coyne
Matt O'Connor*
Affiliation:
St Peters Lutheran College, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Joseph Coyne
Affiliation:
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
*
address for correspondence: Matt O'Connor, St Peters Lutheran College, PO Box 111, 66 Harts Road, Indooroopilly QLD 4068, Australia. Email: m.oconnor@stpeters.qld.edu.au
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Abstract

There is limited research detailing school-based counselling services and how they are utilised by students. This study presented counselling service data for a Preparatory to Grade 12 school. Specifically, it examined the number of students seen and sessions provided, and differences between users and non-users of the service. The results showed that approximately 20% of students engaged in counselling. Frequency data indicated that many students had brief contact with counselling and that there is no clear relationship for when this occurs during the term or year. There were also significant differences between users and non-users within key demographics. Implications for use of this information in school as well as recommendations for effective use of counselling service data are presented.

Keywords

counsellingmeasureservice useschoolmental health
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 27 , Issue 2 , December 2017 , pp. 251 - 261
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2016 

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