I'm listening.....

I'm listening...."   A school-based counselling service called Place2Be is working with children who would customarily be diagnosed with ADHD and medicated accordingly.  Just giving them a calm, quiet place to talk and get supportive advice  has had impressive results on young people who were on the verge of being excluded.  Any child can post a note into the special Place2Talk lettterbox and request a fifteen minute appointment at lunchtime to talk about anything they want.  I am thinking of introducing one in our offices.....   Just as the  key to success with therapy is for the therapist to be consistent, for young people with turbulent home lives the regular in-school presence of counsellors is an accustomed opportunity for them to rely on support.  When young people bond with a teacher, that teacher's departure from the school can be devastating.  Having neutral staff there as a consistent listening support is a fantastic idea.