A critical investigation of school guidance counselling in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

This article invites guidance counsellors to examine their role as wellbeing experts in Aotearoa New Zealand schools. By drawing on critical scholars like McLeod and Wright (2016), Rose (1999), and Foucault (1995), it examines how the dominant discourse of wellbeing inspires young people to focus on managing their emotions to become self-optimising, happy, individualised, responsible, and productive citizens. While this may appear beneficial, concerns are raised for how wellbeing guides school counsellors to exercise contested and problematic psy-knowledge that encourages young people to overlook important societal issues and govern themselves towards ideal neoliberal values and character. This article concludes by calling for more critical research and professional development within the guidance counselling profession to ensure our work is informed by ethical, evidence-based, and socially just theories and practices.