School staff perceptions of the impact of school counselling on young people, the school and integration into the school system

Jennifer O'Donnell, Amy Louise Sumner, Stephanie Smith, Jon Eilenberg, Charlie Duncan, Mick Cooper

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Introduction: This research explored the views of staff in secondary schools on school counselling for young people. Data were drawn from the Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness Trial of Humanistic Counselling in Schools (ETHOS) study, an RCT of school counselling across 18 state‐funded secondary schools in London. Methods: Qualitative semi‐structured interviews were held with school staff (n = 16) from a sub‐sample of 10 participating schools from the RCT. The interviews explored the perceived impact of school counselling on the school and students. Thematic analysis was conducted using the NVivo qualitative data analysis software. Results: Three key themes were identified: (1) school context: rising mental health need and varying provision for mental health; (2) school staff perspectives on the impact of counselling: increased openness and improvements in mood, dedicated space to open up, putting skills into practice, one size does not fit all, and role of personal connection; and (3) long‐term impact of counselling in schools: integration as central to success and counselling as a stepping stone for further support. Conclusion: This research provides insights into school staff views of secondary school counselling in the context of delivery through a research trial. Effective ways of integrating counselling services into schools are identified.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalCounselling and Psychotherapy Research
    Early online date27 Oct 2024
    DOIs
    Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 27 Oct 2024

    Keywords

    • qualitative
    • school‐based
    • counselling
    • school staff
    • young people
    • teachers

    Cite this