Counselling vs Menthoring

Had a short discussion with the supervisor of the student care centre in our school. She noticed a trend of increasing neglect of the children under her charge by their parents due to the parents' pre-occupation with their jobs. She ascribes it to the parents having to put in more hours to earn a living to keep up with the high cost of living. Indeed I also found out that the mothers of a few of my student clients have started working. It is also probably due to the greater ease in getting a job. If so the government must be achieving its objective getting housewives to join the work force. It is however quite sad to hear some students admit that they sometimes feel lonely returning to an empty house after school.

Every month counsellors have to review their open files and report on the status of the student clients; as in whether their presenting issues have been resolved and whether the files should be closed. However I find this rather difficult because parents still insist on regular monitoring of their children's emotional state or behaviour. So I do have quite a few cases which I am like "just keeping an eye". Then they are cases which I try to wean off ie. telling the students they have done very well and they do not need counselling. These children protested and compromised with a reduced frequency. Of late with a new vice prinicpal joining the school, I can sense a divergence in view over the resources of counsellors. The old guards I think are of the view that emotional support should continue as long as the students ask for it. The new people's view is that once the presenting issues are resolved the file should be closed but can be reopened when new issues arise.

Objectively speaking from a therapist point of view the file should be closed when the presenting issue is resolved. If in private practice it may seem unethical to keep the file opened and charge the client fees for the continuing therapy sessions. In my opinion the role of a counsellor blurs in a school environment. Providing care and emotional support may sound more like menthoring than therapy but I feel is desirable for the children's well being. Must we always have to follow rules and guidelines? Can we not follow our heart sometimes? Maybe I can suggest a lower charge for methoring sessions, or offer them free of charge if it makes things easier hahaha.

I find it rather difficult to close the door on my clients. As one of my child puts it when I asked why he still wants to come for counselling, "Here I can talk about myself".