ACIS Youth School Service

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ACIS Youth have a counsellor based in all the local Authority Academy schools within Aberdeen City as well as a team of locality-based counsellors who offer a service to children aged 10 years and older within each Primary school in the City.

What we offer

For all Aberdeen City school children and young people aged 10 years +
Up to 12 counselling sessions on a weekly basis

Contact Information

School-based Counselling

A school-based counsellor brings counselling to children and young people in a place that is familiar to them, and where they can feel safe and secure. They are encouraged to talk in a confidential and safe environment about the things which are worrying them and affecting their day to day lives.

How it works

Creating a safe environment for young people

The counsellors create an environment where the children and young people feel protected, and by working collaboratively with them, they are able to tell their own story, in their own time, in their own words.

By providing emotional support and enabling them to share their feelings and anxieties, counselling can help children and young people to feel better about themselves, build their self-confidence, improve their relationships, and help them concentrate more in class.

The counsellors will explore new ways of coping with conflict, distress, or painful experiences, and help the children and young people better understand their emotions, thoughts, and experiences.

Pupils will be offered an initial assessment within a few weeks of the counsellor receiving a referral.

They will then be offered up to twelve weekly sessions, which should allow enough time for the issues to be explored in a helpful and meaningful way. There may be times when it is felt that they would benefit from further sessions, this may happen after they have had a break from the service to allow them to process what they experienced so far, or it may be that original block of sessions will be extended for a time limited period.