When Don Quixote coined the phrase, “…like looking for a needle in a haystack,” ‘ Cervantes’ troubled character gave birth to one of the most ubiquitous idioms of all time. What on earth has this to do with finding a counsellor who can support a child or young person you may well ask.

More than 100,000
 professionals are registered
 with the main counselling organisations, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find someone who can help should it? Yet school leaders tell us it can be a real headache finding someone who is trained to work with youngsters and is available when the need arises. What’s more, costs are frequently inflated because most counsellors offer their services through agencies.

NHS statistics show that 18% of 7-16 year olds, rising to 22% of 17- 24 year olds, are living with a mental disorder. So the need is significant and has been rising steeply since the Covid lockdowns. In the last three years, the likelihood of young people having a mental health problem has increased by 50%.

Many school and college leaders tell us that the rise in needs has highlighted their own uncertainty about where to turn for guidance. BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) is one of our key partners and their lead for children and young people, Jo Holmes, has produced a guide which answers these questions. It will enable you to source effective and safe support and to manage it in your setting.

The guidance includes a helpful link to our directory where you can search for and find sole traders who can help.