Greetings from the School Counsellor 

Important information about how to access School Counselling.

Hello lovely St. Bede’s families. My name is Faith and I have been part of the Marymead CatholicCare Student and Family Counselling team since 2019. During such time, I have worked in our regional primary and secondary schools as a student and family counsellor.
I am a social worker; I have previously worked in community services, AOD, and homelessness sectors. My passion for my role stems from an innate desire to help. I strive to assist my clients in acknowledging their strengths and realising their potential. I love working with diverse needs and have particular interest in neurodiversity.
In my school counselling work, I provide short-term client-centred support to children and their families drawing from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Strengths Based, Mindfulness and Trauma informed approaches in a developmental context. Our brief-intervention framework offers up to 5-6 sessions to students. For more complex issues or concerns requiring longer term support, I also provide referrals and information/parent consultation.

Please feel free to touch base with any questions or concerns relating to the counselling service.

How to make an appointment.

If your child/ren were seen by the school counsellor in previous years and you would like them to receive support in 2025, we require you to complete a new counselling registration form. The link can be found below. New referrals and requests can be made via the same link.

Parent consent for counselling continues to be required for all primary school students and will be sought and provided via email. Where parents are separated, we require the written consent of both parents. Once the referral has been received, I will contact parents on a Wednesday to further discuss the referral and determine whether school counselling can meet your child’s needs or if an external referral may be more appropriate.

Referrals can be submitted here

https://mccg.my.site.com/housing/s/school-referral-form

I am at St. Bede’s on Wednesdays each week.

More about School counselling/how to access school counselling at St. Bede’s.
As part of the pastoral care program for students at St. Bede’s, students have access to a Student and Family Counselling service provided by Marymead CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn (MCCG). MCCG are contracted by the CEO to provide a counselling service to students and their families on site. There is no fee to access this service. The service offers short term counselling support (5 – 6 sessions per referral issue, totalling one term worth off support on a fortnightly basis) to children and their families – the counsellor can also provide referrals or advice for more complex issues requiring intensive or long-term therapy/support.
The role of the counsellor is to focus on the emotional, social, and educational well-being of the students. Counsellors welcome contact with students having difficulty with some part of their life, the concern does not have to be a big one. It is better to seek help sooner rather than later. Some typical concerns that counsellors work with include anger, anxiety, behavioural problems, low mood, family changes/separation, grief and loss, learning and educational challenges, parenting challenges, peer and other social relationships, school avoidance, stress and study skills. As well as individual sessions with students, counsellors consult with parents and teachers and make referrals to other services and supports.
Student and Family Counsellors subscribe to a set of professional ethics that include duty of care and respect for the individual rights to privacy and confidentiality. The counsellors’ obligation is to ensure the safety, wellbeing, and confidentiality of the student they are working with. All counsellors are mandated to report any disclosure or sign of abuse (including self-harm) or neglect to Child Protection Services. Outside of these mandated requirements, all counselling sessions are confidential, and the details will not be discussed with other parties unless consent is given by the client.

Faith Costigan – Student and Family Counsellor.

School Student Broadband Initiative (free NBN service)

The Federal Government's School Student Broadband Initiative provides a free NBN service to eligible families with school age children. For further information, please click on the link below.

Link: School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI)