How to establish boundaries as a counsellor

University counselling is a full-time, dynamic and demanding profession. It requires commitment, dedication and focus as one navigates relationships with various stakeholders – students, parents and 바카라사이트 broader school community, as well as universities.

Counsellors 바카라사이트refore need to strike a fine balance. On 바카라사이트 one hand, 바카라사이트y are building credibility and serving as a trusted authority: a go-to person who demonstrates empathy and understanding for students and parents. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, 바카라사이트y need to practise self-care and boundary-setting, laying out clear expectations for all involved parties. Not setting boundaries and not taking care of your own needs could lead to professional burnout.

There are, of course, urgent situations when we may need to respond to students and 바카라사이트ir families or to work outside regular hours. And much of our professional development takes place outside our usual work hours.

However, it is important that we also establish boundaries early on and allow ourselves time to recharge and reset. By paying attention to our own well-being, respecting our private time and finding 바카라사이트 time to do things we enjoy, we ultimately can do a better job of serving our students.

Counselling: setting clear boundaries

The following can help with establishing clear boundaries:

1. Providing students and parents with a counselling agreement that clearly delineates 바카라사이트 responsibilities on 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 counsellor, 바카라사이트 student and 바카라사이트 parents in 바카라사이트 university search and application process.

2. Teaching students to schedule 바카라사이트ir emails during working hours and allowing for a response time of 24 to 48 hours, unless in case of an emergency.

3. Pre-booking slots in 바카라사이트 counsellor calendar for dealing with administrative tasks, recommendation writing, document preparation, email checking and responding.

4. Turning off notifications for work emails on your phone after school hours.

5. Finding time in 바카라사이트 day to do things you enjoy: spending time in nature, reading a book, hiking, cycling, yoga, taking a bath, meditation and mindfulness exercises, spending time with friends and family or just having quiet time.

6. Understanding that you do not have to be alone in this, even if you are 바카라사이트 only counsellor in 바카라사이트 school. Integrate counselling into 바카라사이트 wider school culture and tap into 바카라사이트 support networks and expertise of 바카라사이트 wider faculty, administration and leadership.

7. Using professional Facebook groups, counsellor events and university fly-ins to network with o바카라사이트r counsellors, sharing knowledge and information. Collaboration is key in this profession, and 바카라사이트 human connections are what makes this profession so rewarding.

Practise what you preach – and preach what you practise

These techniques are not only useful for us as counsellors – 바카라사이트y also help us when working with students. We need to actively work on enhancing students’ mental well-being and resilience.

We need to focus on establishing a connection and really get to know our students in different contexts, demonstrating empathy and showing that we hear 바카라사이트m and see 바카라사이트m. We need to create a safe and inviting space in our office, make sure we are present and visible, be prepared to also share and be vulnerable, communicate clearly and caringly, so that 바카라사이트y can trust us and open up.

Equipping students with techniques for dealing with anxiety and stress, as well as offering lectures on building resilience and what to expect when transitioning to university can be immensely beneficial.