Carlisle School Counselling

For more information on how your school can access our counselling support, please contact us: [email protected]

Benefits of counselling

Evidence indicates that counselling in schools can underpin academic achievement, improve behaviour and concentration as well as improving the general well-being of children and young people.

The counselling sessions are around 45 minutes long and progress will be reviewed after 6 sessions. We welcome feedback from staff, parents and of course the children we work with at any time. We trust this will be a rewarding experience for staff, children and parents.

Why have a Counsellor in School?

A school based Counsellor is able to see children in a place that is familiar, secure and convenient. If children receive emotional support from a qualified professional they will have greater opportunity to fulfill their potential. Some issues that may affect children where counselling could help:

Divorce or separation of parents
Bereavement
Parent in prison
Peer problems in school
Having experienced trauma through neglect, violence or abuse
Being bullied or bulling someone else

If you are a parent/carer enquiring about counselling for your child, all referrals must be made through your child's school.

Our services

We provide the following service(s):

One-to-one counselling for pupils in primary and secondary education.
Staff Counselling
Staff Supervision Groups (see notes below)
Primary-to-Secondary transition course.

Carlisle School Counselling also offers a Staff Support Service for those in Senior Safeguarding roles as well as personal counselling for any member of staff.

External supervision has proven to be an effective way of supporting staff employed in senior safeguarding and emotionally demanding roles and can be of great benefit to individuals or groups of staff.

Two or our team, Jeanette Carson and Anna Lythgoe, are accredited and experienced Supervisors, who have worked with members of staff in the NHS, Charity and Education sectors.

They provide a source of support and professional development for those attending Staff Supervision Groups from schools in Cumbria and offer a safe and professional space for staff to explore their challenging roles and to network with other professionals in the area.

Colleagues who attend the group sessions are usually Safeguarding Leads or pastoral workers who are deeply immersed in welfare and emotional well-being issues at their schools

Our Team

All of our counsellors are registered members of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and hold a formal BACP accredited qualification in counselling, offering a range of appropriate experience. We all receive monthly clinical supervision in accordance with the BACP guidelines.

All counsellors hold an up to date and satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service certificate (enhanced level) and individual professional indemnity insurance.

Each counsellor either holds, or is working towards, individual professional accreditation with the BACP.

Laura Heslop MBACP. BSc (Hons), BA (Hons)

During my time as a counsellor I have worked primarily within education, where I have over 10 years experience. I have also practiced in the areas of self-harm, sexual abuse and personality disorders. I have a BSc Psychology and BA Person Centred Therapy.

Anna Lythgoe MBACP (Accred). BA (Hons). Cert.Sup

Before becoming a person-centred counsellor, I was a teacher for 15 years. I set up counselling services in two secondary schools as well as working for a charity supporting young people (4-20 years) impacted by abuse. My experience covers both primary and secondary aged children and young people, where I use a range of creative and play interventions to engage and support students.

Alison Manson MBACP. Dip(HE)

I have experience of working in both Primary and Secondary schools. I have 13 years experience of working within palliative care. I am also employed in the charity sector as a counsellor for adults pre and post bereavement.

Our role as Counsellors

We see our role as one of supporting and enhancing what you are already doing in school. Counselling offers a safe space in which children can explore confusing or upsetting feelings and behaviours. The therapeutic play and active listening in which we engage, allows children to express themselves and tell their story.

For more information on how your school can access our counselling support, please contact us:

[email protected]

If you are a parent/carer enquiring about counselling for your child, all referrals must be made through your child's school.

Testimonials

“Carlisle School Counselling have been working with Inglewood Junior School for several years now. We are so impressed by the quality of the counsellors and the way the sessions are set out. We know that the pupils who work with the counsellors will look back on this and see it as invaluable. What a difference you are making to all the children that you work with helping to create balanced and caring young people.”

Nicola Bowe, Deputy Head, Inglewood Junior School, Carlisle.

“The counselling our student has received has been professional and of a very high quality. The counsellor has built an excellent relationship with the student and is always willing to arrange appointments to suit his needs. The counsellor has given the school helpful advice about how best to support the student. She is always punctual, reliable and easy to contact. We have been delighted with the counselling which is excellent value for money.”

Steve Milledge, DSL and Assistant Headteacher, Cockermouth School

“In an era when children’s mental health needs are increasing and external support is in such short supply having access to a counselling service for our children is vital. This service throws our children a lifeline and supports them through whatever they are facing.”

Jonathan Bursnall, Head Teacher, Brook Street Primary School

“Carlisle School Counselling Service has been a godsend for us, providing a service that we were unable to source elsewhere and giving pupils access to well trained professionals. A big plus of the service is that the pupil is allocated a counsellor really quickly so that timely support that is so crucially needed is there when they require it. The skills of the counsellors facilitate good relationships between staff so that we can constantly feed back and liaise vital information and most importantly they are able to build up the trust with the pupil. So much so that the pupil wants to contact them and can open up about everything. The impact that the service has upon pupils is immense and I can't thank you enough. It has significantly improved the mental well being of the pupils. The staff also are willing to go the extra mile, for example by attending meetings.”

Gail Johnson, SENCo, St. Bede’s Roman Catholic Primary School

“Carlisle School Counselling has been refreshingly flexible in their response to meeting the needs of our pupils. Our pupils have benefitted directly from the professional and friendly approach of CSC counsellors and the support afforded by CSC has, for some, proved to be invaluable.”

Matt Harris, Head Teacher, Austin Friars

“The service provided is totally child centred and very effective”.

Ms A Weston, Head Teacher, Crosby-on-Eden C of E Primary School

Schools we have worked with

Austin Friars

Beacon Hill Community School, Aspatria

Blackford C of E Primary School

Brook Street Primary School

Castle Carrock Primary School

Cockermouth School

Ghyllside Primary School, Kendal

Inglewood Junior School

James Rennie School

Lanercost C of E Primary School

Norman Street Primary School

Upperby Primary School

St Bede’s Roman Catholic Primary School

St Michael’s C of E School, Bothel

Stramongate Primary School, Kendal

Petteril Bank Community School

St. Margaret Mary Catholic Primary School

Crosby-on-Eden C of E Primary School