Responding to non-suicidal self-injury in New Zealand secondary schools: Guidance counsellors' perspectives.

Abstract

Schools and school-based mental health professionals play a critical role in responding to adolescent Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI). However, little is known about the experiences in particular of guidance counsellors responding to NSSI in New Zealand secondary schools. We present here a descriptive thematic analysis of a focus-group discussing the experiences of 14 guidance counsellors working in secondary schools. Counsellors emphasised the key aspects that were important in determining how to respond to student NSSI: the role of confidentiality, disclosure to and involvement of family or whānau, the maintenance of the therapeutic relationship, and the importance of a thorough assessment. Among the wider school staff community, counsellors reported staff misconceptions and discomfort with NSSI, as well as failure to report instances to the NSSI counselling team that school staff had witnessed. We suggest that school communities would benefit from NSSI-specific staff training, as well as a school protocol for addressing student NSSI, and conclude with suggestions for guiding a discussion among pastoral care and senior leadership teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)