St Joseph’s College
Guidance and Counselling Service 2024
St Joseph's College Guidance Counsellors:
Roisin Allen, Guidance Counsellor
Email: rallen@stjosephslucan.com
Antoinette Donohue, Guidance Counsellor
Email: adonohue@stjosephslucan.com
Link to St Josephs College guidance plan
The Guidance & Counselling Service
Guidance is, by definition, person-centred and holistic. Guidance supports students’
personal and social, educational and career development. Guidance facilitates and
empowers students to make informed decisions and life choices. Guidance plays a
significant role in supporting students’ wellbeing and contributes to building internal and
external resilience. The aim of St Joseph’s College 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).
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:
· Designing, delivering and evaluating guidance learning and developmental
programmes relating to personal and social, educational and career development for
individual, group and classroom settings;
· Developing effective teaching, learning and assessment strategies for the
guidance class;
· Providing individual and group guidance counselling to facilitate personal and
social, educational and career development and at moments of personal crisis;
· Using psychometric assessments (i.e. ability and aptitude tests and career
interest inventories) to facilitate career decision-making and personal development,
and to support learning and educational choices;
· Providing support to, and working in collaboration with, school management and
staff in the planning, leading, delivery, review and evaluation of the guidance
service/programme and the WSG plan;
· Participate in the Student Support Team as a core team member;
· Working with parents (as appropriate) and referral agencies in facilitating the
personal and social, educational and career development of students and service
users and;
· Referring students to external agencies and professionals, as appropriate.
Counselling
Counselling is a central part of St. Joseph’s College Guidance Service. Counselling is
offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process and
at moments of personal crisis. A professional relationship involving confidentiality is at
the heart of the service. 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. Common issues
include:
● Self-esteem building
● Family bereavement or illness
● Friendship issues
This Guidance Department believes that engaging with parents and families is very
helpful when supporting a student through a difficult time. We also engage with
parents/guardians when a referral of a student to an external counselling agency or
other professional body is deemed necessary. External agencies such as CAMHs or
Pieta House offer more intensive and focused therapy. Issues such as depression,
suicide ideation, self-harm and eating disorders all need outside professional
intervention. The waiting lists are long for these agencies, often many months. This
guidance department is committed to providing the care and support our students need
as they await the intervention of essential services.
Useful Counselling Links
www.aware.ie
www.barnardos.ie
www.bodywhys.ie
www.belongto.org
www.b4udecide.ie
www.drinkaware.ie
www.eunicas.ie
www.drugs.ie
www.grow.ie
www.jigsaw.ie
www.positiveoptions.ie
www.spunout.ie
www.teenline.ie
www.youthmentalhealth.ie
www.youmatter.ie
www.Pieta.ie
Useful Educational Links
www.cao.ie
www.careersportal.ie
www.qualifax.ie
www.studentfinance.ie
www.studyclix.ie
www.ucas.com
www.accesscollege.ie
www.susi.ie