"We understand that for girls to thrive and reach their full potential they need to feel physically and emotionally healthy".
At Fahan, we believe in nurturing the whole person. The Counselling Program at Fahan School seeks to meet the needs of girls both when they are feeling mentally well and when they need support through counselling, psychoeducation and support for their families.
School Counsellor
All girls at Fahan School have access to counselling services which are run by our School Counsellor.
We offer individual, group and even family counselling sessions if the best support includes family members. Our School Counsellor also collaborates with teachers to provide psychoeducation and social emotional learning to students in classrooms.
Individual counselling gives the girls the opportunity to work one on one with Maria in a safe, caring and confidential environment. Individual counselling is helpful for a variety of reasons, such as increasing an individual's self-awareness, encouraging self-exploration, identifying boundaries, enhancing communication skills and improving the use of healthy coping skills.
Sometimes when a group is struggling, meeting together in a space where everyone is heard and healthy communication is facilitated can generate a new dynamic and better opportunity for each member to meet others needs and have their own needs met. Other times, a group will form to support one another through a shared experience. Our Counsellor meets with groups to help facilitate a sense of community and equip girls with skills to navigate challenges.
Our School Counsellor often meets with parents to assist them in supporting their daughters and girls often request that a family member attend a session as their support person. They may also work with teachers in classrooms to integrate a relevant mental health topic into a lesson or unit.
What are the objectives of counselling?
Our comprehensive school counselling program focuses on the needs of students to ensure that they can make the most of their educational experience. Maria Conway provides support for social and emotional challenges and provides psychoeducation to students, staff and parents in the areas of mental health and wellness. The counselling program at Fahan strives to equip each girl with the tools she needs for good mental health through psychoeducation for all girls and their families and therapeutic support and/or referral to outside services and resources when needed.
For some students, the school counsellor may be the first point of contact for therapeutic intervention. Providing access to mental health services creates a continuum of integrative care that can promote health, mental health, and educational attainment that has lasting effects long after a girl leaves Fahan.
