Outcome Report – Student-Led Research Symposium (School Counselling)

Ms. Smriti Maini shared extensive professional insights drawn from her experience as a practising school counsellor, highlighting the psychological, institutional, and ethical challenges faced while working with children, parents, teachers, and school management systems, with the session aimed at bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and applied counselling practice within educational institutions. Key highlights included: understanding the role of a school counsellor with responsibilities extending beyond student counselling to include collaboration with teachers and parents, the importance of preventive mental health programmes, and balancing academic expectations with emotional well-being; real-life case discussions involving anonymised cases of behavioural issues, emotional distress, academic pressure, and peer conflicts with strategies for building trust with young clients; and ethical challenges including maintaining confidentiality within institutional frameworks, managing parental expectations versus student autonomy, ethical dilemmas involving disclosure, safety concerns, and reporting obligations, and professional boundaries and ethical responsibility toward minors. Practical counselling skills discussed included rapport building with children and adolescents, communication strategies with parents and educators, and crisis management and referral practices. Interactive student engagement included active discussion of ethical dilemmas, case-based problem solving to enhance applied learning, and clarification of career pathways in school counselling. The guest lecture enabled students to move beyond textbook knowledge and understand the nuanced ethical, emotional, and systemic realities of school counselling practice, with the interaction fostering professional awareness, ethical sensitivity, and practical readiness — reinforcing the Department’s commitment to experiential and practice-oriented learning.