Our School Counsellor

Hello! I am Sarah Byrnes. I'm a qualified counsellor and have been working in schools for over five years.

School counselling is about providing a safe space for a child to be able to work through emotional wellbeing issues or situations. Counselling encompasses a range of areas such as anxiety and worries, grief and loss, low self-esteem/self-confidence, friendship/social issues, anger strategies and self-harm.

I support children through these issues with a child-led approach that can include talking therapy, activity books, games, mindfulness and coping strategies. I also incorporate psychoeducation to help children understand how the brain works and the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

I am here to guide children in developing essential skills, like resilience, and to manage adults' expectations of their ability to bounce back from certain situations.

Parents and caregivers play the biggest role in their children's lives, so I partner with them to implement strategies for supporting their children while maintaining confidentiality.

Issues can often be resolved within three to six sessions. However, if counselling isn't suitable for a child or not sufficient, I will provide referral pathways to ensure the child still receives the best outcome for their wellbeing.

When a child is happy and content most of the time, they are at an optimal level for learning and socialising.

I feel privileged when children share their thoughts and feelings with me. They would never imagine how much I learn from them.