Why under-11s are in therapy
Our youngsters are in crisis and primary school counselling is a positive step, says one practitioner
The sooner you reach a child who is facing emotional difficulties in their lives, the more help you can offer them. This is something I have learnt in my five years working with children and families as an art psychotherapist – a role that feels more important than ever, following NSPCC figures released this week which show that mental health referrals for under-11s have risen a third in just three years. That equates to 183 referrals every school day, or almost 35,000 requests for specialist support in 2017-18.
The numbers are alarming, but the benefits of intervening early cannot be overstated. Primary school children who receive support of this kind are less likely to develop problems as they enter their teenage years; every £1 invested in child counselling has a social return of £6.20, according to new research from Pro Bono Economics and Place2be, the children’s mental health charity where I work. Therapy can help reduce rates of truancy, exclusion, smoking, depression and crime later in life, sparing both children and their families an enormous amount of heartache further down the line.
There are three major problems that affect many of the children I work with; they have a relative with a mental health difficulty, there is a domestic abuse situation at home, or a background of substance abuse. Children are deeply aware of their environment, and their home lives have the capacity to alter the chemistry in their bodies, potentially resulting in trauma at an early age. As I hope the spotlight being shone upon this issue during Mental Health Awareness Week shows, there’s no use waiting for problems to develop and get worse, particularly when a child’s health could be at risk.
Our first job as primary school counsellors is to educate teachers about the signs that indicate a child could be struggling. It is possible to pick up on cues that something isn’t right with a child as early as Reception or Year 1. Though the signs are different for every child, they can range from extreme timidity to a desire to constantly disrupt things. For example, a child who has a parent with a mental health problem may end up playing the role of carer when they are at home; these children might appear to get on quietly, taking the pressure of looking after a family member on with apparent ease, but underneath, they could be in need of support.
Other signs include the inability to concentrate in lessons, social difficulties with peers and complete behavioural shifts. Teachers spend so much time with their classes that they are usually highly attuned to changes in individuals. In the past, there was little they could do to help, given the pressures on them to meet education targets and lead dozens of children, but in the schools where we operate, teachers now have a place to refer their concerns.
This could go some way in explaining the NSPCC’S latest findings, which came with an added call for more funding to be allocated to its Childline phone support service. “Our research shows schools are increasingly referring children for specialist mental health treatment, often when the child is at crisis point,” said Peter Wanless, chief executive of the charity. “We have seen a marked increase in counselling about mental health, and fully expect it to continue.”
When a child has been identified by a teacher or member of staff as requiring extra support, they are referred to me for counselling. Once we have received parental consent, the children can visit the Place2be room, which is filled with art materials, puppets and dolls. It’s not a box of tissues and two people talking; it’s a space that fosters creativity and expression. We hold open play sessions directed by the children.
To work with children means you are inevitably working with families, too. Sometimes, parents aren’t ready to have their own counselling, but we build a bridge with them so they also feel supported.
Critics on primary school counselling say under-11s are too young for therapy, and that offering such assistance could feed the anxieties of the “Snowflake” youth. But that’s not the case. These are age-old issues that, in the past, have been ignored and led to costs down the line. We finally have an awareness of how to approach children in a way that could save them from problems in the future.
Primary school counsellors are going to become increasingly common as schools recognise their duty of care includes a child’s emotional well-being. And that should be seen for what it is: a great thing, and a building block on the path to a primary school culture where it’s OK – and even encouraged – to talk about your feelings.