CONCERNED ABOUT A STUDENT?
Although students may refer themselves to counselling, some may first turn to you for help because they respect and trust you. In other cases, you may notice yourself that a student is in distress or is having difficulty coping.
There are many signs that you may notice, some obvious and some less so. Have you noticed any of the following indicators in a student you are concerned about?
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Spoken expressions of distress or unhappiness
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Deteriorating academic performance
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Increasing school absences
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Lack of energy- student appears lethargic
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Clear changes in personal hygiene or physical appearance
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Speech that is more rapid or more slow than usual
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Garbled and disjointed thoughts
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Changes in eating habits
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Threats to harm oneself or others (contact Liza, Michael or Liz immediately)
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Irritability
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Social withdrawal
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Crying/tearfulness
This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you answered yes to any of the above, perhaps your student does need some additional support to help them process their feelings and develop strategies to help them cope resourcefully.
