Training for basic counseling skills for St Karen's School teachers concludes

Patna,  June 21, 2022: The National Education  Policy (NEP) 2020 focuses on the fact that there is a critical need for quick and easy access to counseling for students of all age groups to address stress, anxiety, substance use, betting, mental health and relationships. 

The management of St Karen's Group of Schools aims to create a brigade of teachers who are well equipped to handle the problems of adolescent students because they believe that every teacher should have the skills of an effective counselor. Thirty faculty members of St Karen's Group of schools were trained under Saloni Priya, director Ummeed Counseling and Consulting services. She is a master trainer for all India, appointed as consultant training at Centre for Cultural Research and Training CCRT, New Delhi under ministry of Culture. She has to her credit, empowering educational leaders from CBSE, ICSE and several State Board schools .

The training of  Basic Counseling Skills began on January 21 and concluded on May 15. The training aimed at the acquisition of social skills, cognitive change, empowerment, behavioural change, self-awareness, self-acceptance, decision making and problem-solving skills. The knowledge of counseling skills will help the teachers to promote student learning and their well­ being. Teachers can play a key role in resolving student issues and concerns. 

The classroom teacher spends more time with students than any other professional in the school and is thus most likely to influence students. The training comprised several sessions of discussions, role play, activities, case study and assessments. The participant-teachers understood the important aspects of early and late warning signs of suicide, self-harm behaviors, causes of self-harm, myths and facts, risk and protective factors associated with the students. 

The participants learnt how to observe the behaviour of students and guide them effectively. The teachers were encouraged to teach life skills to the students so that they can deal with real life situations and have an improved intelligence, emotional and social quotient. The training session culminated with a two days' workshop on June 21 and June 22 on basic counseling skills for all the teachers of St. Karen's group of schools in which all the 30 trainees were felicitated and awarded certificates. The workshop dealt with teenage depression, coping mechanism and developing resilience.