Nurturing Minds: A conversation with our School Counsellor

We sat down with Shannon Clark, our School Counsellor. Hailing from the United States, Shannon joined our school at the beginning of the previous academic year. Since then, she has provided guidance and assistance to students and anyone facing challenges and distress.

Could you describe your role as our Munich School Counsellor?

My role as the school counsellor is to support the social, emotional, and mental wellbeing of all the pupils here at St. George’s. This may include targeted support to individual pupils as well as supporting staff with advice and guidance.

My undergraduate degree is in Family and Consumer Sciences Education. I taught life skills in a secondary school in the U.S. and worked closely with young adults pursuing vocational education. I was a teaching assistant in Spain for three years in both primary and secondary settings.

I returned to the U.S. in 2017 to complete my master’s degree in counselling and received a dual master’s in 2019: Clinical Mental Health and School Counselling. My clinical training has given me additional perspective regarding important issues and concerns facing children today.

While many schools in the U.S. have school counsellors (and that number continues to grow), not all international schools do, though it is becoming increasingly common. As schools across Europe begin to understand that counselling is essential to student support and success, the number of positions for counsellors in international schools will continue to grow and positively impact students’ lives.

How do you approach your role?

I view my role as one of both a supportive guide and an educator. While my job can often be unpredictable and reactive depending on the day, I try to spend time building relationships with the pupils and teachers, build trust and a sense of community, and do proactive work to enhance and develop their resilience.

I try to attend as many events, assemblies, lunches, and breaks as possible so that I can get to know pupils and observe and interact with them in a relaxed setting which further informs my practice.

Who else do you involve, and what is the implemented process when you know that a pupil is in distress? 

Often pupils are referred to me by their teachers or other members of staff. Additionally, pupils can self-refer. Secondary pupils can stop by my room between classes or during breaks, or message me via email or Teams. Primary pupils can request to meet with me when they see me around school, for example in the playground or dining hall, or by asking their teacher to arrange a meeting.

Even though I am a licensed therapist in the U.S., this does not mean I do traditional therapy as a school counsellor. In fact, school counsellors provide more crisis care and then refer pupils to external agencies for ongoing diagnosed issues where needed.

I do meet some pupils on a regular basis, however, since we are a school, I can´t provide one-hour sessions with pupils on a regular basis. If they need this, I do try to accommodate them as best as I can, especially when there is a language barrier. Our team of SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) experts, the Safeguarding team, and myself do have a list of providers in and around Munich that we can give to families if external support is needed.

Have you seen an evolution in your role over the past 5 years? 

I came to St. George’s after the pandemic ended. School has changed in many ways, and the needs of young people have changed even more. I am thankful that I left teaching to continue my education at the time I did so that I could adjust to the changing world in real time before coming to St. George’s, as I think it helps me better meet the needs of our pupils.

Do you often observe difficulties for children to settle down after an international move and a new environment? How do you support them?

We are lucky at St. George’s to have a great pastoral team. Many of the issues surrounding transitions and settling in are handled by pastoral leads, form tutors, and classroom teachers. In situations where a greater level intervention is needed, I can step in to support pupils and their families.

As a school, we are actively implementing various activities and events to facilitate early connections for new families and pupils. The diverse range of clubs, for instance, provides an excellent opportunity for our newcomers to share experiences beyond the classroom, fostering a sense of belonging within our larger school community.