Premium
‘They need somebody to talk to’: Parents' and carers' perceptions of school‐based humanistic counselling
Author(s) -
Longhurst Phaedra,
Sumner Amy Louise,
Smith Stephanie,
Eilenberg Jon,
Duncan Charlie,
Cooper Mick
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
counselling and psychotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.38
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1746-1405
pISSN - 1473-3145
DOI - 10.1002/capr.12496
Subject(s) - superordinate goals , perception , mental health , psychological intervention , intervention (counseling) , context (archaeology) , psychology , humanism , nursing , medicine , social psychology , psychotherapist , paleontology , neuroscience , political science , law , biology
Parents and carers are likely to take on a significant responsibility for managing an adolescent's mental health and well‐being. Accordingly, their perceptions provide insight into the value of an intervention. This study explored parents' and carers' perceptions and expectations of school‐based humanistic counselling, as received by a socially diverse group of young people (13–16 years old) in secondary schools in Greater London, UK. Semi‐structured interviews from 17 parents and carers were analysed thematically. Two superordinate themes were identified: (a) the context of counselling, and (b) the content of counselling, the latter referring to stages of the therapeutic process and its outcomes. Schools were perceived as an ideal environment for the provision of professional mental health support, as it reaches young people in a natural, convenient setting and therefore promotes and/or widens access to universal support, as well as targeted interventions. Parents and carers further emphasised the importance of overall well‐being, academic performance and social relationships.