In the third part of a series where CNA reporters shadow various school professionals for a day, a counsellor talks about the problems students come to him with, and what happens when they beg him not to tell their parents.
SINGAPORE: It was 7.45am when Mr Justin Seng arrived at Holy Innocents' High School on a rainy Monday morning.
“We really get a chance to empower them, whether to cope with their situation better or to overcome their challenges to flourish later on life. That’s something that’s very appealing about working in a school.”Mr Seng’s day started with a session with a student at 10.30am. The student, who asked to remain anonymous, is familiar with him and happily agreed to pose for some re-enactment photos.
Later, Mr Seng shared that some students come to him hoping that he will offer them a direct solution to their problems. One thing that comes up more often in recent years are problems related to the online space and social media, Mr Seng shared. For example, he might work with them to identify some of the negative thoughts that are triggered by seeing negative comments about themselves. Seeing comments about how other people are not good-looking may trigger negative thoughts like “I’m ugly”, he explained.
“The classic example is if their classmates know that they’re going for counselling, then they’ll ask things like ‘Aiyo, why you going for counselling, is it you got problem? Are you depressed?’” he said. But working together with parents is important for a child’s development, Mr Seng said. Parents should be cooperative and supportive after hearing from the school counsellor, and they can work with the child on any issues at home.
Most parents are open to their children seeking help, but this can lead to tricky conversations when the parents want to know what their child talks about in counselling, Mr Seng said.
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