Student Wellbeing

Exciting News: Meet our Mental Health and Wellbeing Team!

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of our new Student Counsellors, Riva Dhingra and Lisa Gatliff. Riva and Lisa will support the mental health and wellbeing needs of our students here at OPS, as we believe that early intervention through counselling not only helps address concerns but also equips children with vital coping skills for a lifetime of emotional resilience. As Student Counsellors, one of their primary focuses will be to collaborate with teachers and parents in identifying and addressing students' mental health concerns effectively. 

Get to know our Counsellors:

Meet Riva Dhingra, a dedicated Counsellor with a Master of Counselling background, specialising in nurturing the emotional well-being of children. With a profound understanding of young minds, Riva will be offering invaluable support through a spectrum of challenges on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Lisa Gatliff is a Social Worker and Family Therapist, with over 25 years of experience within school environments and a passion for developing students’ resilience to enable them to thrive at school. With compassion and skill, Lisa will be readily available to provide guidance and support to students every Monday and Wednesday.

For the remainder of Term 2, Riva and Lisa will be working with teachers to identify students who may benefit most from our counselling services. These services include one-on-one counselling sessions tailored to individual needs, group counselling, as well as engaging wellbeing activities. Whilst parental permission and documentation would be sought prior to formal counselling, Student Counsellors are also able to respond in a timely way to debrief day to day issues that emerge at school.

How to get in touch with the Mental Health Team?

Parents/carers who would like to discuss their suitability to engage with the Counselling service will be able to contact them in Term 3 via an easy to-fill form, with details to be sent out via Compass. The Mental Health team is enthusiastic to bring their expertise to join with us in further supporting student mental health and wellbeing at Oakleigh Primary School.