Glossary

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School Based Humanistic Counselling

School Based Humanistic Counselling (SBHC) is targeted therapeutic counselling for young people aged 11-18 years who are experiencing some level of psychological distress.

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Evidence

4

Fit

NYR

Capacity

NYR

Supports

3

Usability

4

Need

NYR

Usability - Rating: 4

Core Components

School Based Humanistic Counselling (SBHC) is targeted therapeutic counselling for young people aged 11-18 years who are experiencing some level of psychological distress. This individualised intervention is centered on the theory that young people going through distress are capable of effectively addressing their difficulties if they can discuss them with a supportive and sympathetic counsellor. SBHC therefore applies a person-centered approach to help young people understand and appreciate themselves and their experiences. This enables them to become more attuned with their authentic feelings, wants and needs, and enhances their capacity to identify, manage, and overcome distress arising from challenging situations.

SBHC is delivered by qualified counsellors in up to ten 45-minute sessions, typically over twelve weeks. SBHC recognises that individual young people will not only present differing levels of problem severity, but also have varying levels of personal capacity and social resources available to them. Hence the number of sessions needed to achieve their therapeutic goals will vary accordingly. To encompass this variation, it is recommended that after the initial ten sessions, the necessity of any booster sessions (as follow up) is tailored to the needs of the individual client. During counselling sessions, counsellors help the young people access and express their feelings and needs; help them reflect on their experiences and behaviour; and encourage them to consider the varying options they face, and then decide on the most helpful choices for their particular circumstances. Techniques applied include active listening, emphatic reflections, and consistent use of unconditional positive regard.

A clinical practice manual developed for the Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness Trial of Humanistic Counselling in Schools [ETHOS] can be used to support programme delivery. Participants can be referred to receive SBHC via referral from a member of school staff (typically pastoral care teacher), self-referral, or referral by parents/carer or friend. Parental consent to receive this intervention is not typically required except in situations where the young person is assessed as lacking capacity to give consent.

Fidelity

Programme fidelity is assessed via the following measures:

Use of the Person-centred and Experiential Psychotherapy Scale- Young Person Counselling Version (PCEPS-YP). This rating tool is used to assess practitioners’ skills while delivering the intervention (including empathic resonance, accepting presence and genuineness).

Modifiable Components

School Based Humanistic Counselling (SBHC) is a flexible intervention, so the length of sessions and style of intervention can vary according to the young persons’ needs and goals.

SBHC can be delivered remotely through online platforms. Information about adapting the intervention for online delivery is covered in the online training, or by contacting the developer directly.

Supports - Rating: 3

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), as the professional body for School Based Humanistic Counselling (SBHC), can provide implementation support for schools in setting up and delivering SBHC. Additional guidance and support can be offered by Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA), the professional body for counselling in Scotland. Enquiries regarding the five-day post-qualification training can be made to Dr. Peter Pearce at the Metanoia Institute, London.

Support for Organisation / Practice

Implementation Support

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) have developed the School and community-based counselling operating toolkit that can be freely accessed online. They have also made available a legal resource for Counselling Children and Young People in School Contexts, accessed online with BACP membership. Practitioners can access the clinical practice manual (developed for the Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness Trial of Humanistic Counselling in Schools [ETHOS]), and adherence tools both freely available on the ETHOS site. Lastly, practitioners can request a five day post-qualification training prior to delivering SBHC in schools.

Licence Requirements

There are no licence requirements for programme delivery.

Start-up Costs

The five day practitioner training costs around £550 per participant (plus VAT).

Building Staff Competency

Qualifications Required

School Based Humanistic Counselling (SBHC) is typically delivered by qualified counsellors with a minimum of a two-year counselling training to diploma level or above. Experience working with young people in schools is important. Supervision can be provided by supervisors who are qualified and experienced in person-centred counselling, and have experience of providing counselling to young people in school settings.

Training Requirements

Counsellors, due to their counselling training, are typically equipped to deliver SBHC, however additional six day training prior to programme delivery is available. The six day post-qualification training is designed to build on counsellors’ prior experience of working therapeutically with young people, using a humanistic model. The training encompasses essential knowledge of humanistic counselling; young people and development; working in a school context; ethical and legal issues in therapeutic work with young people; initiating, establishing, concluding and evaluating the therapeutic relationship; and working with emotional content. Practitioners can refer to the clinical practice manual for programme delivery support.

The six day post qualification training can now be accessed remotely, to receive information about opportunities to attend an online training contact the developer.

Supervision Requirements

No additional supervision beyond the counsellors’ regular supervision arrangements are required to deliver this intervention, if those requirements are met. Typically, practitioners’ caseloads are supervised monthly for a minimum of 90 minutes.

Evidence - Rating: 4

Theory of Change

School Based Humanistic Counselling (SBHC) is founded on person-centered assumptions, supported by social psychology research. This is evident in the SBHC basic premise that young people experience higher levels of psychological distress when they are estranged from their lived experiences, needs and wants. SBHC therefore applies a person-centered approach to help young people understand and appreciate themselves and their experiences. This enables them to become more attuned with their authentic feelings, wants and needs, and enhances their capacity to identify, manage, and overcome distresses arising from challenging situations.

Primary school: 6 to 12 years - Rating: 4

Research Design & Number of Studies

The best evidence for SBHC in children aged 6-12 years comes from one internally conducted pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) (Pearce et al., 2017), and one internally conducted pre-post single group longitudinal study (Cooper et al., 2014). The RCT included 64 students aged 11-18 years from three urban secondary schools in London. Schools were single and mixed sex schools, located in deprived areas, and included ethnically diverse participants (black, mixed, white, Asian, and other ethnic backgrounds). The single group study included 256 students aged 11-17 years from 11 secondary schools in Scotland. Schools were mixed gender schools, located in deprived areas, and included students of predominantly white Scottish ethnicity.

Outcomes Achieved

The following outcomes were observed in children who received School Based Humanistic Counselling (SBHC):

Child Outcomes

Significantly greater reduction in psychological distress at post-test (Cooper et al., 2014; Pearce et al., 2017)
Significantly greater reduction in emotional symptoms at mid-therapy, post-test, 3 months follow-up, and 6 months follow-up (Pearce et al., 2017)
Significantly greater reduction in total difficulties score at post-test and 3 months follow-up (Pearce et al., 2017)
Significantly greater improvement in self-esteem at post-test (Pearce et al., 2017)

Parent Outcomes

None

Key References

Pearce, P., Sewell, R., Cooper, M., Osman, S., Fugard, A.J.B. & Pybis, J. (2016) Effectiveness of school-based humanistic counselling for psychological distress in young people: Pilot randomized controlled trial with follow-up in an ethnically diverse sample. Psychology and Psychotherapy. 90(2):138-155

Cooper, M., Mcginnis, S., & Carrick, L. (2014) School-based humanistic counselling for psychological distress in young people: A practice research network to address the attrition problem, Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 14:3, 201-211

Adolescents: 13 to 18 years - Rating: 4

Research Design & Number of Studies

The best evidence for SBHC in children aged 13-18 years comes from two internally conducted Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) (Cooper et al., 2021; Pearce et al., 2017) and one internally conducted pre-post single group longitudinal study (Cooper et al., 2014).

The first RCT (Pearce et al., 2017) included 64 students aged 11-18 years from three urban secondary schools in London. The single group study included 256 students aged 11-17 years from 11 secondary schools in Scotland. Outcomes, for children in the 13-18 age range, for these two studies are the same as is detailed in the 6-12 age range above.

The second RCT (Cooper et al., 2021) included 329 young people aged 13-16 years with at least moderate levels of emotional symptoms. Participants were recruited from eighteen state funded secondary schools in London, ten located in the deprived areas, with an average of 32% of participants receiving free school meals. Compared to participants who did not receive the SBHC, the following outcomes were observed:

Outcomes Achieved

Child Outcomes

Significantly reduced psychological distress at 12 weeks and 24 weeks post-baseline
Significantly improved goal attainment and self-esteem at 6 weeks, 12 week, and 24 weeks post-baseline
Significantly improved mental wellbeing at 12 weeks post-baseline
Significantly reduced psychological difficulties at 12 weeks post-baseline

Key reference

Cooper, M., Stafford, M. R., Saxon, D., Beecham, J., Bonin, E.-M., Barkham, M., Bower, P., Cromarty, K., Duncan, C., Pearce, P., Rameswari, T., & Ryan, G. (2021) Humanistic counselling plus pastoral care as usual versus pastoral care as usual for the treatment of psychological distress in adolescents in UK state schools (ETHOS): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Child and Adolescent Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30363-1

Self-assessment

School Based Humanistic Counselling

Compare

Usability Rating

4

Supports Rating

3

Evidence Rating

4

Fit Rating

NYR

Capacity Rating

NYR

Need Rating

NYR

The Hexagon: An Exploration Tool

The Hexagon can be used as a planning tool to guide selection and evaluate potential programs and practice for use.

Evidence

4

Fit

NYR

Capacity

NYR

Supports

3

Usability

4

Need

NYR

Primary school: 6 to 12 years - Rating: 4

Adolescents: 13 to 18 years - Rating: 4

Need

Fit

Capacity

Self-assessment

School Based Humanistic Counselling

Compare

Usability Rating

4

Supports Rating

3

Evidence Rating

4

Fit Rating

NYR

Capacity Rating

NYR

Need Rating

NYR

The Hexagon: An Exploration Tool

The Hexagon can be used as a planning tool to guide selection and evaluate potential programs and practice for use.

Evidence

4

Fit

NYR

Capacity

NYR

Supports

3

Usability

4

Need

NYR

Primary school: 6 to 12 years - Rating: 4

Adolescents: 13 to 18 years - Rating: 4

Need

Fit

Capacity

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