Being a school counsellor, I predominantly work with students, parents and teachers. I also see clients with relationship issues in my private practice. The pandemic has had a huge impact on my work. On the positive side, clients were more open to online counselling which was less earlier. I could work with clients across the country through these online sessions. I did have some clients from abroad during the first lockdown; of course I had to manage the time difference. Volunteering for a few help-lines for free counselling services during the lockdown was very satisfying and gave a sense of purpose during the pandemic.
Some of the challenges faced professionally in the first phase of the pandemic included understanding about the pandemic itself (facts and myths), screen fatigue because many sessions were scheduled per day, and chances of burnout were very high. Working for a school where students took time to settle down in online classes was challenging. So much they were missing – friends, play, and interactions. They had no interest in the online classes, and faced connectivity issues. Challenges were faced by the teachers as well as parents. Level of anxiety and restlessness was at its peak.
With parents working from home and students also at home, it was difficult for both parents and students to open up and express their feelings and problems freely. Students missed their friends and found it very difficult to follow routine and motivating them was a challenge. We were not sure when the schools were going to reopen physically then.
My life has definitely changed, both personally and professionally, due to the pandemic. A lot of learning happened professionally by attending a number of webinars and training programs; I became much more tech savvy. At school, the need for more counselling sessions was felt due to the stress and anxiety during the pandemic- for teachers, students and parents. The need to become more creative and innovative during the online class sessions for students kindled my curiosity to learn and create a number of exercises to keep the sessions interactive for the students
I did adopt some specific self care measures in order to keep myself grounded and emotionally safe, which was very important to maintain my sanity. This included regular physical exercise, yoga and meditation to keep my body and mind fit. Music has always helped me to stay calm, and during the pandemic, all the more, to release my stress and elevate my mood. Good sleep is my greatest boon. Proper sleep routine and food was taken care of to manage my day-to-day activities. Connecting with my friends happened whenever possible through video calls or chats. Family time by watching movies, gardening, playing board games etc. was also a part of my daily routine. Professionally I approached my supervisor to handle my challenges.
With the physical reopening of schools now, teachers are observing huge learning gaps and behaviour issues across all age groups of students, and the need for school counsellors to be more proactive is being felt to meet the challenges and help the school students.
Arthy Sriram
June 2022
