Counselling in schools
Overview
Over the last five years, the Counselling Unit has been at the forefront of research into the outcomes and process of counselling in schools, with the publication of two nationally-recognised evaluation reports (one of which won a BACP Recognised Achievement award), articles and features in national journals, and presentations at major national and international conferences. Our particular interest is in children and young people’s experiences of participating in schools’ counselling: for instance, what they find helpful, what stops them attending counselling services, and how they think such services could be improved.
Publications
- Pattison, S., Rowland, N., Cromarty, K., Richards, K., Jenkins, P. L., Cooper, M., et al. (2007). Counselling in Schools: A Research Study into Services for Children and Young People in Wales. Lutterworth, Leicestershire: BACP. [download research study (PDF - 4.8MB)]
- Cooper, M. (2006) Counselling in Schools Project, Glasgow, Phase II Evaluation Report. Glasgow: University of Strathclyde. [(PDF - 4.4MB)]
Hard copies also available from Counselling Unit for �10 - Cooper, Mick (2006) Scottish secondary school students' preferences for location, format of counselling and sex of counsellor. School Psychology International, 27 (5). pp. 627-638. ISSN 0143-0343
- Hough, M. (2006) A week in the life of a school-based counsellor, Glasgow: University of Strathclyde
- Cooper, M. (2005) ‘Evaluation,’ in East Renfrewshire Youth Counselling Service (ERYCS): Development and evaluation of a full-time secondary school and community based youth counselling service in Scotland. For details please contact Grace Webster
- Cooper, Mick (2005) Scottish secondary school teachers' attitudes towards, and conceptualisations of, counselling. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 33 (2). pp. 199-211. ISSN 0306-9885
- Cooper, M. (2004) Counselling in Schools Project, Glasgow, Evaluation Report. Glasgow: University of Strathclyde. [(PDF - 4.1MB)]
Presentations
- Freire, E. S., Hough, M., & Cooper, M. (May, 2007). Counselling in Schools An evaluation. Paper presented at the 13th Annual BACP Research Conference, York, UK. [(PDF - 170kb)]
- Cooper, M. (2007) ‘The effectiveness of counselling in schools: Key findings from the evaluation of the second phase of the “Glasgow Counselling in Schools Project”,’ 13th Annual BACP Research Conference, York. [(PDF - 146kb)]
- Cooper, M. (2007) ‘Therapeutic counselling in schools: A review of current research,’ Society for Psychotherapy Research UK Chapter Conference, Ravenscar. [ (PDF - 226kb)]
- Cooper, M. (2005) ‘Counselling in schools Findings from an in depth, multi-method evaluation:,’ 11th Annual BACP Research Conference, Nottingham. [(PDF - 189kb)]
- Cooper, M. and Bryce, S. (2005) ‘Young peoples attitudes towards a school-based therapeutic counselling service :Willingness to attend, inhibiting factors and facilitating factors,’ 36th Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, Montreal. [(PDF - 295kb)]
- Cooper, M. (2005) ‘Young peoples perceptions of helpful aspects of therapy: A pluralistic model of therapeutic change,’ Joint Meeting of European and UK Chapters, Society for Psychotherapy Research, Lausanne. [(PDF - 103kb)]
- Cooper, M. (2003) ‘Teachers attitudes towards counselling in secondary schools,’ 9th Annual Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Conference, Leicester. [(PDF - 111kb)]
Bibliographies
- Schools Counselling Bibliography [(PDF - 49kb)]
Research grants
- National Assembly for Wales (2007) Study of counselling services available to children and young people in Wales.
- East Renfrewshire Youth Counselling Service (2007) Analysis of evaluation.
- Greater Glasgow NHS Board (2005) Evaluation of phase II of Counselling in Schools Project.
- East Renfrewshire Youth Counselling Service (2005) Analysis of evaluation.
- Greater Glasgow NHS Board (2002-4). Development project evaluating effectiveness of counselling in schools.
Current work
- On going evaluation of counselling in Glasgow secondary schools
- Feasibility work on the development of a randomised controlled trial of counselling in schools
- Collaboration in study of counselling services available to children and young people in Wales, Welsh Assembly Group
Potential research topics
- Controlled studies of the effectiveness of counselling in schools
- Comparisons of the effectiveness of different ways of working with children and young people in schools
- Impact of counselling in schools on young people’s capacity to study and learn
- Helpful/unhelpful factors in counselling in schools?
- Factors that inhibit children and young people from using counselling in schools services?
- Attitudes of teachers/parents/multi-agency professionals to counselling in schools services?
Active researchers
- Mick Cooper (coordinator)
- Elizabeth Freire
- Mike Hough