Counseling services are an integral part of the educational experience at Wise Indian Private School. The school
recognizes the importance of addressing the emotional, psychological, social, and academic challenges faced by
students. Through a dedicated counseling department, the school aims to create a supportive and confidential
environment that allows students to seek guidance, develop resilience, and make informed decisions about their
personal growth and academic success.
The counseling policy reflects the school’s commitment to fostering the overall well-being of students, ensuring
that they have access to professional mental health services. It emphasizes the importance of student-centered
approaches that cater to individual needs, promoting holistic development and emotional well-being.
Counseling services are accessible to all students, aiming to support them in facing the complexities of
adolescence and academic pressure while nurturing their personal and social growth.
SCHOOL’S VISSION
Every Individual student is unique hence, we are committed to provide a stimulating and nurturing environment
that will aspire and empower them to become more responsible, confident and well rounded.
SCHOOL’S MISSION
To empower students to become ethical, intuitive, compassionate and creative members of the society, We
strive to support this by building a more comprehensive teaching and learning method that addresses the
(approaching or forthcoming) future.
AIM
The primary aim of this counseling policy is to provide a structured and comprehensive framework that
empowers students with the emotional, psychological, and social support necessary for their holistic
development. The policy is designed to ensure that all students can access professional counseling services,
contributing to their emotional well-being and academic achievement.
OBJECTIVES
1. Provide Emotional Support:
The counseling services aim to create a safe and non-judgmental space where students can express their
feelings, concerns, and emotions. It encourages open communication and offers emotional support to
students, helping them navigate personal and academic challenges.
2. Promote Mental Health Awareness:
The counseling department aims to enhance mental health literacy among students, staff, and parents.

By organizing awareness campaigns, workshops, and interactive sessions, the program seeks to de-
stigmatize mental health issues and promote open dialogue around emotional well-being.

3. Encourage Positive Behavior:
Through individual and group counseling sessions, students are guided in developing effective coping
mechanisms for stress, anger, and conflict resolution. The program emphasizes self-discipline,
resilience, and the cultivation of positive behavioral traits that contribute to a harmonious school
environment.
4. Enhance Academic Success:
The counseling services offer guidance to students in managing academic pressures, improving time
management, study skills, and motivation. By addressing the connection between emotional well-being
and academic performance, the program supports students in achieving their academic goals.
5. Address Specific Issues:
The counseling team plays an active role in intervening in specific cases, including but not limited to

bullying, absenteeism, learning difficulties, peer pressure, and family-related concerns. Personalized
intervention plans are developed to meet the needs of students facing such challenges.
6. Support Personal and Social Development:
Counseling services aim to improve students’ interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and social interaction.
Through workshops and peer-support initiatives, the program encourages a culture of empathy,
inclusivity, and mutual respect.
GOALS
1. Promote Overall Well-Being:
The school aims to ensure that every student feels supported and understood, creating an inclusive
environment that encourages personal and academic growth. By addressing the emotional and mental
health needs of students, the counseling program contributes to a healthy and vibrant school community.
2. Early Identification and Intervention:
The counseling team proactively identifies and addresses psychological, emotional, and social
challenges that may affect students. Early intervention is a key strategy, allowing the school to provide
timely support before issues escalate.
3. Create a Safe School Environment:
Fostering a culture of safety and respect is central to the counseling policy. The program emphasizes
preventive measures, including anti-bullying campaigns, conflict resolution strategies, and peer
mediation. The school aims to create an environment where students feel safe and valued.
4. Collaborate with Stakeholders:
The counseling department works closely with teachers, parents, and external professionals to create a
holistic support network for each student. The school values collaboration with all stakeholders to
ensure that students receive consistent guidance and care across their academic and personal lives.
5. Develop Lifelong Coping Skills:
By equipping students with the necessary skills to manage stress, emotions, and challenges, the
counseling program fosters resilience. Students are encouraged to develop healthy coping mechanisms
that will serve them throughout their academic journey and into adulthood.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
1. Counseling – It is a goal-oriented relationship between a professionally trained, competent counselor and an
individual seeking help for the purpose of bringing about a meaningful awareness and understanding of the self
and environment, improving planning and decision making, and formulating new ways of behaving, feeling,
and thinking for problem resolution and/or development growth. (Gibson & Mitchell, 1999; Villar, 2009)
2. School Counselor – School counselors are an important part of the educational leadership team and provide
valuable assistance to students regardless of whether they work in an elementary school or middle school, high
school or beyond. They are educated and trained in addressing all students’ academic, career and
social/emotional development needs by designing, implementing, evaluating and enhancing a comprehensive
school counseling program that promotes and enhances student success. (American School Counselor
Association).
3. Confidentiality – Confidentiality is a professional’s promise or contract to respect clients’ privacy by not
disclosing anything revealed during counseling, except under agreed upon conditions. (Journal of Professional
School Counseling, 2002)

GUIDELINES FOR THE DEPARTMENT
The school counselor(s):
• Practices within the boundaries of individual professional competence
• Adheres to ethical standards of the profession and relevant statutes established by the UAE government and
regulatory organizations (KHDA)
• Maintains professional competence through educational, consultation and training experiences to improve
awareness, knowledge, skills and effectiveness
• Informs students, teachers and parents of the purposes, processes and goals of counseling at or before the time
when the counseling relationship is entered
• Maintains confidentiality of the students, staff and parents at all times- including the protection of emotional
information and record-keeping
• Develop and maintain consistent and clear lines of communication with parents/guardians
PARTNERS:
Administrators (include the Principal, Vice-Principal and non-teaching staff) support the counseling program
in numerous ways, including implementing and upholding policies and procedures. Together with the school
counselor(s), they develop partnerships with resources in the community that contribute to the counseling
process.
Teachers are a valuable resource as they spend the most time with students and are able to provide key
information and feedback, which informs the counseling process. As such, teachers work closely with
counselors to assess and monitor students’ progress and well-being. Various opportunities are provided through
which students can benefit from the school counseling program such as group counseling and workshops, in
addition to self-referrals.
Parents/guardians work in partnership with school counselors to help their student be successful in school.
The school counseling program ensures that parents are given the tool to help their student with his/her
developmental, emotional and social needs. Parent/guardian support is vital to the success of all counseling
endeavours.
Community members such as psychologists, psychiatrists, other medical and university/educational
professionals’ partner with the school in a variety of ways, providing workshops, assessments and consultations
that contribute to students’ development.
SERVICES PROVIDED
The counseling program targets three main areas of development: Academic, Emotional & Social, and Career
Development.

Academic Development:
• Apply skills needed for educational achievement
• Apply skills of transitioning between educational levels
• Understanding the relationship of academics to the world of work and to life at home and in the community
Emotional/Social Development:
• Understand self as an individual and as a member of diverse local & global communities
• Interact with others in ways that respect individual & group differences
• Apply personal safety skills & coping strategies
Career Development:
• Apply career exploration & planning skills in the achievement of life career goals
• Know where & how to obtain information about the world of work & post‐secondary training/education
The above areas of development are enhanced and developed using the following approach:
Individual Sessions
The school counselor(s) use many different mediums to work with students during sessions. In individual
sessions, students may draw, write, sing, play, or just talk. Sometimes we work on learning a specific skill such
as deep breathing for anxiety. Other times we work on role-playing situations, such as a problem with a friend
or having a difficult conversation.
Workshops
The school counseling program addresses key issues faced by students of various age groups by designing and
implementing workshops that provide students with key skills and techniques to navigate the world around
them.
Training
The counseling program offers teachers and administrators various opportunities to expand their scope of
practice to include counseling. Staff are aware of counseling policies and practices, how to identify indicators
for student concern and how best to serve the counseling needs of our students.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
1. Access to Services:
Counseling services are available to all students across all grade levels. Students can request sessions, or
they may be referred by teachers, parents, or administrators. The counseling team also initiates outreach
for students identified as needing additional support.

2. Confidentiality:
Ensuring the confidentiality of students’ concerns is paramount to building trust between the counselor
and the students. All discussions within counseling sessions are kept private, except in situations where
the student’s safety or the safety of others is at risk.
3. Counseling Programs:
A range of individual and group counseling programs are offered, including workshops on stress
management, peer relationships, conflict resolution, self-esteem building, and study skills. Special
interventions are also available for students dealing with trauma, anxiety, depression, or other mental
health concerns.
4. Crisis Intervention:
In cases where students face acute emotional or psychological crises, the counseling team provides
immediate support and works in collaboration with external mental health professionals if necessary.
Crisis intervention ensures that students receive the care and attention they need in critical moments.
5. Monitoring and Evaluation:
The counseling department regularly assesses the effectiveness of its services through feedback from
students, teachers, and parents. Periodic evaluations allow the school to adapt its counseling services to
meet the evolving needs of the student body.
6. Parental consent/ access to counseling records:
Parents and guardians of students will be notified if the counselor is to provide individual/group
counseling for their child. Counseling is voluntary and parents/guardians reserve the right to consent to
or decline counseling services for their child. Parents will not be granted access to counseling records,
which are considered the property of the counselor/school.
Parents/guardians of all students will be notified immediately if there is any concern regarding the safety
of their child and will receive an end of term feedback report.
COUNSELING PROCESS IN SCHOOL
The counseling process at Wise Indian Private School is structured to provide systematic, confidential, and
comprehensive support to students, ensuring that they receive appropriate guidance and intervention. This
process includes several stages to identify concerns, develop strategies, and foster personal and academic
growth.
1. Referral and Identification
 Teacher/Parent Referral: Teachers or parents may refer students to the school counselor when they
observe behavioral, emotional, or academic concerns. This may include changes in behavior, poor
academic performance, or social isolation.
 Self-Referral: Students can also initiate the counseling process themselves by approaching the school
counselor directly when they feel the need for guidance or support.
 Observation: In some cases, the counselor may observe students during classes or school activities to
identify signs of emotional distress or behavioral concerns.
2. Initial Assessment
 Gathering Information: The counselor conducts an initial meeting with the student to understand the
nature of the problem. This involves active listening, asking questions, and reviewing any available
academic or behavioral records.

 Confidentiality Assurance: All the students are entitled to confidentiality. This means that the
information they bring to the session will be held in confidence between themselves and the counselor.
Information will not be shared unless the young person has agreed to it. The counselor will, however,
state that they may need to break confidentiality should they deem the young person at significant risk of
harm to themselves or others. At this point, information may need to be shared with another party, either
within the school e.g. Safeguarding Officer or with an appropriate referral to an outside agency.
Counselors are aware of the Child Protection procedures and adhere to those at all times.
 Collaboration with Teachers/Parents: If necessary, the counselor may consult teachers or parents to
gather additional insights regarding the student’s behavior, academic performance, or social interactions.
3. Goal Setting
 Defining Objectives: Based on the initial assessment, the counselor and the student work together to set

clear, achievable goals for the counseling process. These goals may focus on improving emotional well-
being, addressing behavioral challenges, or enhancing academic performance.

 Action Plan: A plan is developed outlining the steps the student will take to achieve their goals. This
plan may include regular counseling sessions, participation in group activities, or specific behavioral
modifications.
4. Intervention and Counseling Sessions
 Individual Counseling: The counselor conducts one-on-one sessions with the student to explore
feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
 Behavioral Contracts/Monitoring: In cases of severe behavior issues, behavior improvement plans
(BIPs) may be implemented to track progress and set clear expectations for the student.
 Deep Breathing Exercises: Students are taught deep breathing techniques such as diaphragmatic
breathing or the 4-7-8 breathing method. This helps them calm down during moments of anxiety or
stress.
 Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR): In sessions, the counselor guides the student through tensing
and then relaxing each muscle group. This technique reduces physical tension and enhances overall
relaxation.
 Mindfulness and Meditation: Techniques such as guided imagery or mindfulness exercises help
students focus on the present moment, reducing anxiety and helping them cope with stressful situations.
Mindfulness activities may also include short meditative sessions focusing on calming the mind.
 Visualization Techniques: Students are encouraged to imagine peaceful or positive scenarios (e.g., a
serene beach) to help shift their mental state away from anxiety or negative thoughts.
5. Collaboration with Stakeholders
 Parent Involvement: Regular updates are provided to parents, keeping them informed about the
student’s progress and involving them in the implementation of strategies at home.
 Teacher Collaboration: Teachers are kept informed of relevant strategies to support the student in the
classroom. This ensures consistency in the approaches used both in counseling sessions and during
school activities.
 Referral to External Services: If the student requires additional support beyond the school’s capacity
(e.g., psychiatric evaluation, clinical therapy), referrals to external professionals are made with parental
consent.
6. Monitoring and Evaluation

 Progress Tracking: The counselor monitors the student’s progress through regular follow-up sessions.
Adjustments to the action plan may be made depending on the student’s development.
 Feedback and Adjustments: Students and teachers provide feedback on the effectiveness of the
interventions. Based on this feedback, strategies are fine-tuned for maximum effectiveness.
 Reporting: At the end of the intervention, the counselor provides a report outlining the student’s
progress, key insights, and any further recommendations for continued improvement.
7. Closure and Follow-up
 Closure of Counseling: Once the goals have been met, the formal counseling process is concluded. The
student is acknowledged for their efforts and is encouraged to continue using the skills learned.
 Follow-up: Periodic follow-up sessions are scheduled to ensure that the student is maintaining progress
and to address any new concerns that may arise. These follow-ups help reinforce positive changes and
provide continued support.
This structured approach ensures that the counseling process is effective, collaborative, and tailored to the
unique needs of each student while promoting their overall well-being and success in school.
CONCLUSION

Wise Indian Private School’s counseling policy reflects the school’s commitment to fostering the overall well-
being of students. By providing accessible, professional counseling services, the school ensures that students are

supported in their emotional, social, and academic development. The policy aims to create a safe, inclusive, and
empathetic learning environment where every student has the opportunity to thrive. Through collaboration with
stakeholders and a focus on early intervention, the school’s counseling services play a vital role in shaping the
future success of its students.