In general, when we talk about counselors, this word comes with the feeling of someone facing mental issues. But this is a time where mental issues are a prominent talk of the town and students are most affected part of it. In a recent survey by CSDS – Lokniti it was found that a large quotient of the youth of our country is affected by Depression. Being a sensitive topic, discussed by our honourable prime minister, the need to express depression and not to suppress it is focused.
And the major problem comes when we don’t even bother to see a consultant for this ailment. This is how depression find it’s rooted in students these days and the lack of counseling or it’s unavailability even presses this problem more deeply. In India, only 10% of students went to a doctor about this depression and anxiety problem.
- Here are some facts that will prove the need for a counsellor in schools, so the students can at least have someone sensible to talk, without giving the feeling of constraint on their image:
- Urge to try liquor:
Possibly there is no one living and studying in the urban setting who hasn’t come across this dilemma of tasting liquor once. No matter how much this issue looks strange to parents but the possibility of a student accepting it is high. And once, you throw yourself in this vicious circle then there is no way out. Neither you can talk to your parents about it nor friends.
Here is the point, when a need of counselor arises. Being a trained professional a student can confide to the counselor with friendliness.
- Low marks:
when a student attending school or college scores low marks he or she is often chided by the teachers and parents both. But no one tried to focus on the fact that if a student’s performance fails randomly than there could be a cause to it. Sometimes, low marks give the child even less confidence and either he tends to self-pity, instead of doing hard work or becomes a rebel.
This is the point when the need for a counselor arises to bridge the gap between students and their parents. Giving students the liberty to talk will always endow them with good mental health and more perspectives towards life.
- At times weak mental health probes students towards smoking or drinking and smoking or drinking lead to a whole lot of other problems and vice-versa.
- Relationships:
These days students tend to emotionally involve themselves with their peers, which at times prove to be a constraint on their academic performance. When academic performance drops, parents gear up with their punishment strategies and hence students got baffled.
Here a counselor can help a student when parents advice is left unheard. As teenage is an age of being influenced by people outside, hence a counselor is the one who with all modern approaches and tactics can bridge the gap between parents and their children.
Another benefit of having a school counselor is the prevailing break-up ideology in students. As there are two sides of a coin, so as with humans no one knows whether the other person involved in the relationship is too serious about it. These things at times lead to suicidal tendencies in students. Therefore, a trained professional can empathetically solve the problem of the students, that he or she is hesitant to express to their respective parents.
- Loneliness:
Loneliness is a root of all evils in a human life you can probably think of. India’s national sample survey office indicated that 1.23 million men and 3.68 million women are not only living alone but faced loneliness as well. Living alone and loneliness are two very different things, you can be lonely in a crowd or with family. These days children tend to start lonely at an early stage and therefore need someone to consult and share their problems. Because loneliness tends to evoke suicidal thoughts and it’s best to have them curbed at an as early age as possible.
Counselors are trained professionals who can help students to get out of these issues without even hindering their image in front of parents or teachers. Basically, they strategically help students to build their self- confidence by giving them a sense of understanding confidentiality.
- Lack of time management:
Time is precious but what happens when the little ones in school are abandoned with this knowledge, and only forced to abide by the deadlines without telling them it’s relevance. Time management is a thing of concern for every student’s parents because it concerns with the academic performance of the students.
Hence counselors are the professionals who help students learn these soft skills with ease. These skills help students shape their future.