Guidance and Counselling at Our Lady’s Bower

Two professionally trained Guidance Counsellors work with students from the day they enter first year right through to when they complete their education with us and beyond. Students draw on the Guidance Counselling service for a plethora of reasons, which can usually be categorised into 3 distinct, but interlinked areas: Personal / Social Guidance, Educational Guidance & Career Guidance.

Personal / Social Guidance:
Personal counselling is available to all students and may be requested by the student herself or her parent / guardian. The Principal / Deputy Principal / Year Head may also make a referral with the student’s consent. The Guidance Counsellors create an atmosphere where the young person feels secure, accepted and understood and appropriate confidentiality is guaranteed. Great emphasis is placed on raising and enhancing students’ self-esteem. The counsellor will help the student to clarify her own thoughts and help her to make her own decisions.

Educational Guidance:
Educational Guidance is developmental in nature and involves empowering students in the areas of subject choice/level, study skills and examination techniques. The Guidance Counsellor provides support at key moments during the school year, including the transition from primary to secondary school, from Junior Cycle to Senior Cycle and preparation for school assessments / state exams. Educational Guidance aims to maximise the student’s potential ability by creating awareness around individual learning styles and personalised study planning.

Career Guidance:
At Our Lady’s Bower, we believe that it is never too early to expose our students to the vast and exciting array of career opportunities which await them after formal education. The Guidance Counsellors assist students to explore and discover career categories, to develop goals and aspirations in relation to career
paths and to make informed decisions pertaining to third level choices based on their research in classroom guidance and individual appointments with us.
Students and their parents should feel free to contact the Guidance Counsellor if they need help in any of these areas. Discrete and confidential assistance will be provided