St Joseph’s College
Guidance and Counselling Service
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St Joseph's College Guidance Counsellors:
Roisin Allen, Guidance Counsellor
Email: rallen@stjosephslucan.com
Antoinette Donohue, Guidance Counsellor
Email: adonohue@stjosephslucan.com
Jean Kennedy, Guidance Counsellor (Thursdays only)
Email: jkennedy@stjosephslucan.com
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The Guidance & Counselling Service
The aim of the guidance and counselling programme is to ensure that our students have access to appropriate guidance to assist them in their personal and social development, and in making educational and career choices in accordance with section 9c of the Education Act (1998).
Guidance
The guidance process aims to help students to develop an awareness and acceptance of their talents and abilities, to explore possibilities and opportunities, to grow in independence and to take responsibility for themselves, to make informed choices about their lives and to follow through on those choices.
Some guidance activities include:
- Supporting parents and students throughout the journey from 1st to 6th year in making choices and dealing with change e.g. subject choice and career decisions
- Psychometic testing e.g. Differential Aptitude Test (DAT) for use when making subject choices
- Organising in-school talks from Higher Educational Institution, Post Leaving Cert Colleges and Career Ambassadors, Apprenticeships
- Organised visits to Higher Educational Institutions such as Maynooth University (TY), Trinity College (TY), ITTallaght (TY), UCD (5thYear), DCU (5th Year)
- Personal career interviews in 5thand 6th Year covering CAO, PLC, Apprenticeships, HEAR/DARE and SUSI application
- Careers classes involving online career investigation and becoming familiar with online websites for career and college investigation
- Organising personal awareness talks such as AWARE with their Beat the Blues Programme, Junior Achievement Ireland with their Inspiring Young Minds programme, Women’s Health, Bodywhy’s on developing a good body image
- Annual visit to the I Wish Conference – Inspiring young women into Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths (STEAM) and links with SMART FUTURES who provide speakers from these professions
Counselling
Counselling is a key part of the schools guidance programme. This is offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process and at moments of personal crisis. Counselling has as its objective the empowerment of students so that they can make decisions, solve problems, address behavioural issues, develop coping strategies and resolve difficulties that they may be experiencing.
A professional relationship involving confidentiality is at the core of the schools counselling service. The guidance counsellor does not act in a disciplinary capacity and this frees her to deal with students at a more personal level.
Common issues include:
- Self-esteem building
- Anger management control
- Family bereavement or illness
- Friendship issues
The guidance counsellor often refers students, with the consent of parents, to outside agencies for more intensive and focused therapy. Issues such as depression, suicide ideation, self-harm and eating disorders all need outside professional intervention. The guidance counsellor offers counselling support to the student before and after the referral.
Most counselling appointments are made by the students themselves but sometimes they are referred by a parent or teacher.
How can a student access Counselling
There are a number of ways that a student can seek counselling:
- The student can request counselling in person by calling into the guidance counsellor’s office
- A parent or guardian may contact the guidance counsellor to make an appointment for the student
- The student can leave a note in the letter box outside the guidance counsellor’s office stating name and class where by the guidance counsellor will set up an appointment through the tutor
- The student may speak in confidence to her tutor/subject teacher or Year Head about a problem. If it is considered that counselling would be of benefit the tutor/teacher/Year Head could:
- Come directly to the counsellor to arrange an appointment for the student concerned
- And/or encourage the student to make an appointment in person
All information regarding making an appointment with the Guidance Counsellor and reasons for seeking an appointment is displayed in the school journal.
Useful Links
www.aware.ie
www.barnardos.ie/teenhelp
www.bodywhys.ie
www.belongto.org
www.b4udecide.ie
www.cao.ie
www.careersportal.ie
www.drinkaware.co.uk
www.eunicas.ie
www.drugs.ie
www.grow.ie
www.jigsaw.ie
www.letsoneoneknow.ie
www.positiveoptions.ie
www.qualifax.ie
www.reachout.ie
www.spunout.ie
www.studentfinance.ie
www.studyclix.ie
www.teenline.ie
www.teenbetween.ie
www.thecoolspot.gov
www.ucas.com
www.youthmentalhealth.ie
www.youmatter.ie
St Joseph’s College
Guidance Department
Numbers When You Need Them
Al-Anon/Al-Ateen
(For families and children of an alcoholic parent)........01-8732 699
Aspen Counselling Service, Lucan...............................01-621 7063
Aware (Depression support).........................................1800 804 848
Bodywhy’s (Eating Order support).................................1890 200 444
Cari (Children at risk Ireland)........................................1890 924 567
Cross Care (Teen Counselling)......................................01-557 47 05
Childline........................................................................1800 666 666
Crisis Pregnancy Agency...............................................01-814 62 92
Drugs Helpline...............................................................1800 459 459
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre..............................................1800 778 888
Emergency to Gardaí Firebrigade...................................999/112
Gardaí Confidential Line................................................1800 666 111
Jigsaw Clondalkin..........................................................01-538 0087
(clondalkin@jigsaw.ie)
Pieta House Lucan........................................................01-601 0000
(Self-harm and suicide ideation)
Samaritans (24 hour helpline)........................................1850 609 090 or 116 123
Teenline..........................................................................1800 833 634
Teen Between.................................................................1800 303 191
(Supporting teenagers of separated families)
Clondalkin Women Services...........................................01-467 07 48
(Provides a free and confidential service for women living with domestic violence)
Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children...01 676 79 70
1st Yr Homework & Study Guide
2nd Yr Homework & Study Guide