NIMHANS help tribal department for school students’ well-being and mental health

The department responsible for tribal development has decided to furnish counseling to pupils engaged in any of its residential schools located across Maharashtra. The goal is to encourage the students in achieving academic success as well as in overcoming from any issue that might result from living separate from their family. The Tribal development department stated that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) along NIMHANS, Bengaluru.

The commissioner of the tribal development department stated that their master trainers will get training from the experts of institution, who will additionally provide teachers with further training on how to support mental health of students’.

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Reasons and need of counseling

As per the officer, various problems are faced by the pupils of the tribal residential schools. It is because the environment for the pupils is totally dissimilar. They usually exhibit severe shyness as well as dedicate themselves to their work. It’s essential to understand them and treat them with care during these difficult moments. However, teachers also have the other responsibilities. Thus, it is believed that there is necessity of counseling for them.

Importance of counseling for school students

One of the greatest advantages of having a skilled as well as competent school counselor provide both guidance and counseling to the pupils is that they may be able to support them get ready for the hardships in their academic, career as well as social lives by connecting their academic success along future success.

There are various reasons why counseling is important for school students:

• Help students to overcome from mental health issues.
• Encourage students to learn as well as evaluate their surroundings in order to select their career goals.
• Assist students in developing into effective adults.
• Guide them how to handle both emotional conflict and personal issues.
• Students get the opportunity to strengthen their problem-solving abilities.
• Help them in shaping their behavior and actions.
• Try to make them extrovert and talk with others with confidence.
• Enhance both self-confidence and self-esteem.
• Offer them a secure and confidential environment where they can share their thoughts, emotions as well as concerns.
• Help in the improvement of academic performance as well as overall well-being.

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Qualities of a good counselor

• Patience: must be patient with their clients when they go through the discussion with them. Clients might need some time to come to terms with some things and feel comfortable with the counselor as well as make the necessary adjustments. The counselor might need some time to see significant changes in the behavior of the client.
• Empathy: it is the capacity to comprehend as well as experience another person’s emotions. It is important to see things from the perspective of the client and put themselves in the shoes of their client.
• Discretion: as a counselor it is very important to maintain confidentiality if the client information to build proper trust so that effective rapport can be established.
• Encouragement: it is the crucial quality if a counselor to uplift and provide hope to their clients.
• Open-minded: it is the quality in which the counselors do not judge the client on the basis of information given by them. They should be non-judgmental.
• Good listener: listening to the client is important.
• Other qualities are: flexibility, compassion, self-awareness etc.