The Counselling Process @ ISD

Counselling is a relationship built on confidentiality and trust: student trust, parent trust, and teacher trust. Adequate information is the foundation of trust—all involved must have information about the limits and processes of counselling. The following information describes the overall process of counselling.

How students are referred to counselling

Students may be referred to the counsellor for individual and/or small group counselling by their parents or guardians, school administration, faculty or staff, a concerned friend, or a student may seek contact with the counsellor on their own initiative. Student referrals are generally discussed within the Pastoral Care team at ISD, which includes the counsellors, Learning Support specialists, Year Heads, Deputy Principal and Principal. When a referral to counselling is indicated, the counsellor meets with the student to determine the next steps.

Frequency of counselling

In some cases, a single meeting with the counsellor may be all it takes to resolve the concern. In other cases, more regular, on-going contact with the counsellor may be necessary to resolve the situation. This will be decided together with the student, and may include the parent and teacher for students under the age of 14.

Counselling is voluntary

In all cases, it is up to the student to consent to or decline counselling. For students under the age of 14, parents also have the choice to consent to or decline counselling for their child.

What counselling will involve

Counselling generally includes individual or small group sessions. During the sessions, the counsellor will work together with the student help him or her understand the problem, the present and future consequences, develop goals for change and a plan of action for change. Depending on the age of the student, a variety of activities may be used, e.g., writing, role-play, art, focused discussions.

Confidentiality

Trust is the basis for effective counselling. Ethical guidelines and German law emphasize the importance of confidentiality between counsellors and students, while at the same time recognizing the rights of parents. If a student is meeting with one of the counsellors on a regular, ongoing basis, there are some constraints under German law. The student will be informed of these guidelines at the beginning of the counselling process.
  • For children below the age of 14, parents may request access to specific counselling information through the appropriate counsellor.
  • For children over the age of 14, parents may inquire as to the general nature of counselling, but may not have access to specific details without the permission of the child.
  • In a case where a student presents an immediate danger to him/herself and/or to others, the counsellor has a responsibility to inform parents and is not obliged to maintain confidentiality.
The counsellors at ISD will always work in the best interest of the child. This includes open, honest, and frequent communication with parents should a student seek counselling support on their own, or in cases where a student is referred to counselling by a faculty or staff member.

If you have questions about the confidentiality of the counselling support your child is receiving, please contact the appropriate counsellor. S/he will be happy to elaborate on the limits of confidentiality.

Information sharing

Trust and confidentiality work together. Counselling records do not become a part of the student’s permanent school record. We may indicate that a student was seen by the counsellor; however, the topics discussed are not included. Information will not be released to anyone outside of the school without the verbal and/or written consent of the student and/or the parent(s). Counsellors may talk with classroom teachers and/or other support personnel in the school about how he or she can help your child; however, specific information will not be shared unless the student and/or parent has given his or her consent.

Outcomes

Through counselling, students may be taught strategies to help him or her make more effective and healthier decisions, increase the ability to set and reach goals, build better relationships with others, and be more successful in school. We all must realize that changes take time; his or her problem did not develop overnight, nor will it disappear overnight. Counselling will be successful when students, counsellors, teachers, and family members work as partners.

External referrals

From time to time, a student may require a more intensive support, or may be in need of a specialist intervention in the form of Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, or another service that we do not offer here at ISD. For that reason, we have compiled a list of locally-based service providers who are able to offer support in multiple languages. Many of these providers have worked with ISD students for a number of years and are very familiar with the needs of our international community.

City of Dusseldorf - Counselling for Students & Parents

The City of Dusseldorf offers FREE counselling services for children and parents, either through the Jugendamt (Youth Welfare Office - Make an appointment) or the Zentrum für Schulpsychologie (School Psychology Centre - Make an appointment). Although their websites are in German (use Google Translate!), counselling services and consultations are available in English, as well as other languages.

In addition, the School Psychology Centre offers workshops and training for students and parents. Please follow the hyperlink to view their schedule of events.