Important Notices
info@astreaacademytrust.org 0114 478 3830
Counselling

Welcome to the Astrea Counselling Service pages.

Counselling Sessions at Astrea

The Trust currently has three qualified Counsellors working with pupils where sessions are offered on a weekly basis after completing a consent/referral form.

What Counselling Can Help With

Talking to a professional in a safe and confidential space can help with issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, bereavement, anger issues and low mood, which are very common personal problems. The Counselling team can offer a range of bespoke strategies and techniques that can be used to help manage difficult emotions and challenging situations so pupils feel they have a range of tools to equip them and help manage any challenges they may be facing.

Common Misconceptions about Counselling

Contrary to popular belief, Counsellors do not offer advice to the people they are working with and they do not try and solve problems that individuals may have.  Instead, Counsellors use their knowledge, skills and expertise, to allow for reflection and self-awareness on personal issues and emotions which enables pupils to make sense of any difficulties they may have and ultimately decide for themselves what their next steps may be.

About Our Counsellors

Senior Counsellor, Annis Sunderland, has worked with young people in an educational setting for over 15 years including working as Lead Teacher in Intervention in a mainstream educational setting.  She has worked in colleges supporting students with their mental health, was an Honorary Counsellor at The University of Sheffield and has taught counselling to adults training to become counsellors.

She has a particular interest in trauma in terms of the physical and mental health impacts on individuals and how taking an integrative approach in therapy can support people living with complex and single case trauma.