Sany Mehta-Tran, School Psychologist at Smithfield Public School, Smithfield:

A typical day is working across different settings, working collaboratively with school staff.

I also work with students on an individual basis, so that would be for counselling, as well as group counselling, depending on the need.

Ryan Saunderson, School Counsellor at Erina High School, Erina:

One of my favourite things about the role, every day is very different.

Depends on what school I'm at. So in the high school, counselling is my bread and butter.

A lot of that work looks like, sort of triaging for risk, including different supports around the school to make sure kids are looked after.

Astrid Linke, School Psychologist at Nyngan High School, Nyngan:

A typical day for me, as a School Psychologist at Nyngan High School, is quite diverse.

A lot of my work is doing counselling, and then it could also just be doing scoring of assessments and liaising with teachers to try and give them strategies to use with the students in class to enrich their learning.

Sany Mehta-Tran, School Psychologist at Smithfield Public School, Smithfield:

I'm quite privileged to work with different groups at my school.

I have an early intervention unit on site, we've got a preschool, we've got multiple support classes for students with disabilities, and also got an opportunity class, which is quite lovely.

Astrid Linke, School Psychologist at Nyngan High School, Nyngan:

It could be going into a classroom and observing a student, and then having a counselling session with that student, or going to assembly and watching them get an award, and then accompanying them to a sports day or a camp.

So I'm loving that diversity.

Ryan Saunderson, School Counsellor at Erina High School, Erina:

We have a support unit at the Erina High, and a lot of my time will also be spent in the support unit, so that's often the low stakes interaction with kids, so getting to know them a little bit better, so if ever there are needs around learning support or needs around wellbeing, there's that pre-established rapport.

Sany Mehta-Tran, School Psychologist at Smithfield Public School, Smithfield:

Psychometric assessment is a huge part of what I do.

This helps identify students strengths and weaknesses to help them access appropriate interventions.

Ryan Saunderson, School Counsellor at Erina High School, Erina:

At North Gosford Learning Centre, which is a school for a specific purpose, the kids there are usually there because their mental health needs are beyond what mainstream school can usually provide for, or their behaviours are quite significant and schools have found that they're quite disengaged from their education.

That sort of allows me to spend more time with the same students, because there's a very small cohort.

So that's been some really fulfilling, ongoing counselling there.

Sany Mehta-Tran, School Psychologist at Smithfield Public School, Smithfield:

No two days are the same.

It keeps it interesting, it keeps me wanting to come into work and think about, wow, I wonder what I'm going to do today.

[End transcript]

Justin Whyte, School Counsellor

I feel very fortunate to be working in schools as a school counsellor, but with a teaching background.

Pina Fanggidae, Principal, Strathfield North Public School

Our school counsellor Justin is very much a ‘hands on’ school counsellor. He’s always ion classrooms.

The advantages of Justin being a school teacher before and having that expertise and knowledge is he knows how the classroom operates, he knows the curriculum, he understands how students’ learning progresses through stages, and he knows what interventions will work in terms or marrying the learning and the academic with the social-emotional behaviour and other challenges that students might have.

Justin Whyte

I came to school counselling through a teaching pathway. So, I was a primary teacher for about ten years, just over ten years. I’d always had an interested in the welfare, wellbeing side of teaching, and I really enjoyed watching and supporting the emotional growth of children in my class.

Pina Fanggidae

Justin works really closely with our students, our staff and our parents. It’s benefitting the learning needs and behaviour needs, and the different needs of our students.

Justin Whyte

The role of a school counsellor is very varied. There’s lots of different things we do as part of this role. Assessment and counselling are our two main areas, assessment and intervention I should say really, but our intervention can be supporting our teachers and parents and families, and whole school initiatives as well.

Early intervention and prevention is really key in addressing the mental health of our population.

Pina Fanggidae

When I first started two years ago, Justin and I had a conversation together where we set the scene that this would be a partnership. So, he does really feel part of our school and our communities. Not an add-on, he’s not an extra service that we go looking for. He’s a member of our staff.

Justin Whyte

School counsellors are definitely part of many teams within a school and I think that’s one of the things I love most about this role is the ability to work with people. Often principals and deputy principals ask us for support and guidance in managing very difficult situations.

We don’t always solve everyone’s problems straightaway, we don’t have a magic wand, but when we can see people growing and learning through our in put it’s fantastic and it keeps you coming to work every day.

I’ve been asked a few times would I go back to teaching. And I don’t know if I would now. I’ve been in the school counselling role for a while and I really enjoy the variety that comes with it, and how the role is really valued by a lot of the executive and teachers and families.

I still hugely respect all the teachers I have worked with and continue to work with, but I think I’ve made the right choice with the role I’m in now.

[End of transcript]

Martin Fraser, School Psychologist, Allambie Heights Public School

I'd never really considered psychology as a career and never even aware of it, but I was fascinated by people, and then just coincidentally doing a couple of psychology electives and feeling like something clicked for me, and that was where a passion was and where I wanted to go.

I actually never even realised, just with the psychology, no education background, that I could work in a school.

Angela Helsloot, Principal, Allambie Heights Public School

Martin's an active school counsellor in the fact that he's not a person that believes he just sits in an office.

He sees his role in our school as integral to supporting everybody. And so with that, he will meet with parents, he will meet with staff, he will visit classrooms, he will run group sessions in our classrooms and in the playground.

Martin Fraser

I do a lot of group intervention as well. So working with a small group of people and focussing on common themes or areas of interest and needs, it's consulting with other staff and families.

There is an element of assessment as well, which can be academic, social, you know, assessing various risks and needs to young people.

Lauren Brincat, Senior Psychologist, Education

Sometimes people have a bit of a, I guess, preconceived notion as to what school counselling looks like. A lot of people are quite familiar with psychology in movies, which is lie down on the couch and tell me your feelings, tell me about your childhood.

However, we're working with a really diverse group of young people from ages 3 through to 18, sometimes older, from different cultural backgrounds, in rural and remote areas, as well as in our metropolitan cities as well.

So I think some people are quite surprised when they know how integrated our service is within the school.

Martin Fraser

In my previous roles as a psychologist, I found working with adults and older populations that there had often been mental health issues present for a long time without ever accessing or receiving the right support.

And so for me, the principle of early intervention is going back to the younger ages when people are first starting to present with any kind of difficulties and trying to support them at that point.

And for me, there was no arena that made more sense than to work in the school system.

Angela Helsloot

His ability to work with staff, to work with students, and to work with parents actually just has everybody on the same page.

And sometimes those conversations are difficult to have with all stakeholders. And so Martin's calming presence and his knowledge is invaluable to us as a school community to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all.

Lauren Brincat

When you're working as a psychologist or a school counsellor, you're often working with quite emotionally demanding situations, and so if you are working in isolation, it could could lead to burnout.

So it's really important within my team, within the department, that we support one another to make sure that we're delivering, I guess, the best service to our young people.

Martin Fraser

The positive outcomes we do see working in the school environment is actually one of the best privileges of the job because you are part of that community.

So there's no greater feeling for me than when you can help someone else or be part of a positive aspect of their journey in life.

You can make such a difference in a role like this. And at the end of the day, if that's something that drives someone, I couldn't recommend it more highly.

[End of transcript]

Ryan Saunderson, School Counsellor at Erina High School, Erina:

I never really thought about moving outside of Sydney.

We just kind of had that mindset that we had to be in Sydney and we had a very Sydney-centric mentality when we were living in Sydney.

And as soon as we started to branch out, we've really questioned where that mentality came from.

Jarrah Seager, School Psychologist at Willyama High School, Broken Hill:

I think the lifestyle benefits of living outside of Sydney are significant.

The lifestyle here is just amazing.

I live five minutes away, you're never late to work.

Emma Mancer, School Counsellor at Albury West Public School, Albury:

We have no traffic in regional areas.

It takes me five minutes to get to work.

I think the longest it's ever taken me to get to work has been ten minutes, if there's "traffic".

Jackie Hodges, School Counsellor in training at The Henry Lawson High School, Grenfell:

The pace of life is much more manageable out here.

We don't have the traffic concerns that people have in the city.

We really get to know our community, and they're highly supportive of us.

Emma Mancer, School Counsellor at Albury West Public School, Albury:

Rural and remote communities are just so welcoming, and just even outside of work.

Astrid Linke, School Psychologist at Nyngan High School, Nyngan:

I love living in a rural town.

I think just the sense of community that it brings, and you know everyone.

It's such a supportive environment. Feeling a part of a community, which is what you get out here, and it's very rewarding.

Michelle Bowden, Senior Psychologist Education at Willawarrin Public School:

The connections I made with the people, with the school, with the parents, with the community, being part of the community.

Astrid Linke, School Psychologist at Nyngan High School, Nyngan:

We've had quite a few teachers and staff that have come out to Nyngan just for their three year period, but have stayed now twelve years.

And I think it's just that sense of community that you get from a rural school.

It's very supported, and it's not only the relationships that you build with the students, but also the staff.

Emma Mancer, School Counsellor at Albury West Public School, Albury:

Lots of different community activities too.

We have a lot of theatre groups here.

We have a specialised circus school here, so my son goes to that.

Ryan Saunderson, School Counsellor at Erina High School, Erina:

We bought our house up here.

We were actually able to afford it.

Jarrah Seager, School Psychologist at Willyama High School, Broken Hill:

Broken Hill is so easy and affordable to live.

I managed to buy my own house.

I managed to get my own car, and have a great lifestyle.

And I can afford to do that living in Broken Hill.

Michelle Bowden, Senior Psychologist Education at Willawarrin Public School:

These places are just, they're so unique. They're so enriching.

There's so much to see. There's so much to explore.

Jarrah Seager, School Psychologist at Willyama High School, Broken Hill:

You can go bushwalking.

The sunsets out here are phenomenal.

The people, the country people are beautiful and so friendly.

Michelle Bowden, Senior Psychologist Education at Willawarrin Public School:

I would absolutely recommend someone to go and work as a School Counsellor in a rural and remote areas.

Jackie Hodges, School Counsellor in training at The Henry Lawson High School, Grenfell:

You're never alone. You get to experience a lot of different things, and I would definitely say go for it.

Jarrah Seager, School Psychologist at Willyama High School, Broken Hill:

It's just a very easy, laid back place to live, and I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

[End of transcript]