Hello from our new School Counsellor ……and important information about how to access School Counselling.

Hello lovely Sacred Heart Primary families! My name is Sarah Foley-School Counsellor and I have been part of the MaryMeadCatholiccare Student and Family Counselling team since 2006.

I am a registered psychologist with a passion for working with children, young people and their families. I have previously worked in marketing, community based aged care, crisis counselling and the homelessness sector.

In my school counselling work -I provide short term client centred support to children and their families drawing from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Strengths based, Mindfulness and Trauma Informed approaches in a developmental context. For more complex issues I also provide referrals and information/parent consultation. I am at Sacred Heart Primary all day Wednesdays during each school term.

How to make an appointment.

If your child was seen by the School Counsellor last year and you would like them to receive support in 2024, we require you to complete a new counselling registration form. Please either contact David Austin-Principal, your child’s Class Teacher or the School Counsellor (sarah.foley@mccg.org.au) and we will forward you the link via email.

New referrals and requests can be made by contacting the Principal David Austin, your child’s class teacher or School Counsellor ( sarah.foley@mccg.org.au). We will email you the appropriate counselling registration forms via a link.

Parent consent for counselling continues to be required for all primary school students and will be sought and provided via email. Where parents are separated, we require the written consent of both parents. Once the referral has been received by myself- School Counsellor- I will make contact with parents on my next day at Sacred Heart to further discuss the referral.

More about School counselling/how to access school counselling at Sacred Heart Primary School.

As part of the pastoral care program for students at Sacred Heart Primary students have access to a Student and Family Counselling service provided by MaryMeadCatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn (MCCG). MCCG are contracted by the CEO to provide a counselling service to students and their families on site. There is no fee to access this service. The service offers short term counselling support (roughly up to six sessions per referral issue) to children and their families – the counsellor can also provide referrals for more complex issues requiring intensive or long-term therapy/support.

The role of the counsellor is to focus on the emotional, social and educational well-being of the students. Counsellors welcome contact with students having difficulty with some part of their life, the problem does not have to be a big one. It is better to seek help sooner rather than later. Some typical concerns that counsellors work with include: anger, anxiety, behavioural problems, low mood, family changes/separation, grief and loss, learning and educational challenges, parenting challenges, peer and other social relationships, school avoidance, stress and study skills. As well as individual sessions with students, counsellors can run groups, consult with parents and teachers and make referrals to other services and supports. 

Student and Family Counsellors subscribe to a set of professional ethics that include duty of care and respect for the individual rights to privacy and confidentiality. The counsellors’ obligation is to ensure the safety, wellbeing and confidentiality of the student they are working with. All counsellors are mandated to report any disclosure or sign of abuse (including self-harm) or neglect to Child Protection Services. Outside of our mandated requirements, all counselling sessions are confidential and the details will not be discussed with other parties unless written consent is given by the client.

Sarah Foley-School Counsellor/Registered Psychologist, Ph:  02 6286 2410 , is onsite at school all day -Wednesdays.