Young people's process of engagement in school counselling

Abstract Background: Adolescent reluctance to engage in help‐seeking for psychological and emotional problems is well documented. Despite a significant expansion in counselling provision in UK secondary schools, young people's experience of accessing counselling remains under‐researched. Aim: The present study aimed to elucidate the key features and stages of the help‐seeking process as defined by young people accessing school counselling. Method: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with young people who had successfully completed a course of counselling at school. Thematic narrative analysis focusing on help‐seeking was then applied to the interview transcripts. Results: The analysis proposes a multi‐staged socially‐mediated process of disclosure and engagement, from initial acknowledgement of a problem through to full disclosure to the counsellor. Discussion: Analysis of young people's narratives highlights: the complex process of negotiation and evaluation which they undertake to engage fully in school counselling; the careful management of stigmatisation concerns both through practical access arrangements and the language in which school counselling is framed; the significant balanced position of the counsellor as both integrated and separate within the school community; and the key role of facilitators in enabling young people to access counselling, both practically and psychologically.