School Counselling
Pupils may experience difficulties during their school career and need someone to talk to on a confidential basis. At BHGS, we offer a school counselling service to support those needing help.
A Counselling service is offered by Bishop’s Hatfield Girls School. The comprehensive therapeutic aim for all students is to enhance mental and emotional wellbeing while promoting engagement in education and reducing barriers to learning. The counselling service aligns with the Bishop’s 360 holistic model and “commitment to developing the whole person” while promoting character leading to “fulfilled lives both within, and beyond school”. Therapy sessions offered within the school are seen as a core activity carried out by a professionally trained practitioner. The service adheres to the Ethical Framework of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP),The Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) Standards of Proficiency and The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) Code of Ethics and Principles of Professional Practice. The service provides targeted interventions including assessments, individual counselling, art therapy, daily accessible drop-in provision and crisis intervention. Therapeutic group work is provided with a focus on communication, creativity, self-esteem and psychoeducation. The School Counselling Service provides a safe and confidential space for a Students to express themselves openly and honestly.. The service allows for stories to be shared without judgement, and be greeted with warmth and compassion. Together, the young person and Therapist explore thoughts and feelings supporting them to find positive solutions. Art Therapy is also used as a medium for processing feelings and development through creativity. The aim is to support the young person to learn about themselves and the world around them, enabling those who attend to feel more content and resilient. The school counselling service has a professional duty of care to keep students safe. Confidentiality will be respected at all times but if there are concerns about safeguarding and wellbeing information may need to be passed on in line with BHGS safeguarding and health and safety procedures. Students of BHGS can be referred by Heads of Year, parents or choose to self-refer. Sessions last approximately 50 minutes and are issued on a rotational basis so that the student does not miss the same lesson each week. All students are responsible for catching up on any work missed due to their session. Drop in sessions run daily during morning break, in room 202. The number of sessions offered will be dependent on the purpose of the support. Please note there is often a waiting list for this service. For more information about Counselling at BHGS please visit our Policies page and refer to these three file:
Ms Carroll
BHGS School Counsellor and Art Psychotherapist Registered with the HCPC (AS017480) and BAAT(48928) and
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
