COUNSELLING & PERSONAL ASSISTANCE

Welcome to all our new and returning Saints families.

An introduction to the health and wellbeing team

The College Health and Wellbeing Centre (HWBC) comprises our nurses and counsellors.

Mrs Sacha Donaldson RN is our registered nurse, Monday to Thursday. Sacha has 27 years' paediatric nursing experience which includes extensive time at the Royal Children’s Hospital Brisbane, Marist Brothers Ashgrove Health Centre, Cairns Hospital Paediatric ward and, most recently, in the Education Department working alongside teachers to assist students with specialised health needs. Sacha has the depth of skill and knowledge, coupled with a profound understanding and affection for young people, to provide wonderful care for our students' physical needs. 

Mr Blake Patch RN is on duty on Fridays. Blake has 27 years' clinical nursing experience in major hospitals including Royal North Shore and Cairns Base Hospital. His recent role as a school nurse coupled with his approachable disposition makes him a valuable addition to the Health and Wellbeing Centre. 

Our nurses primarily provide emergency or first aid care for students with acute illness or injury while at school. They also administer regular medications for boarding and day students, along with assisting those with chronic or complex medical conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy. Beyond this, our nurses coordinate multi-disciplinary health care and screening as well as immunisations for boarders to manage and optimise health outcomes. 

Saints’ nurses also attend school camps and sporting events, along with ensuring first aid kits and equipment are stocked and available. Our school nurses support students with health education, promotion and early intervention with topics such as healthy eating, mental health, physical activity and many other focuses of interest. Developing, reviewing and maintaining individual health action and management plans and other student health records are also key to the school nurse role. 

Ms Marijke (mar-ay-ka) Keller is one of our counsellors. She is a registered psychologist and has been working in primary and high schools for the past 18 years. Ms Keller works on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

She is highly skilled in small group work, in helping young people understand how the brain functions and supporting those who are experiencing emotional ups and downs.

Br Roger Vallance is a qualified counsellor with advanced training in adolescent trauma, adolescent CBT, solution-focused therapy, adolescent grief and loss, and eating disorders. He has a special interest in supporting our boarding students, including support during those initial weeks of homesickness and separation from families. Br Roger works as part of the HWBC team, Monday to Friday.

What does a counsellor in a secondary school do? 

• A school counsellor is a special part of the pastoral care team.
• The counsellor plays an integral role in young people’s lives as they can speak confidentially to a counsellor and so unburden themselves or share experiences that might be difficult to talk about to other adults.
• A counsellor is not part of the disciplinary side of the College.
• Valuable information is available in Saints News.

There is always a Counselling Connections section in our newsletter, Saints News, that offers a perspective on relevant mental health issues. You will be emailed a link to the newsletter, or you can read the latest issue or back issues via the News & Events page on the College website.

What common issues do school counsellors regularly tackle?

They frequently deal with the full range of ups and downs of adolescent growth and experiences, which include: 

• Friendship and peer troubles
• Homework worries
• Anxieties large and small
• Sadness and separation issues
• Homesickness, especially for boarders
• Adjustment issues in moving to a larger school and possibly loss of friendships, grieving and loss in family separations
• Deaths or separations in one’s community
• Self-worth issues
• Confidence
• Decision-making
• Identity
• Concerns about health and physical wellbeing

How do I arrange for my son to see a counsellor?

• Call 07 4052 9133 or 07 4052 9134 or email the counsellors.  sac.counsellor@cns.catholic.edu.au  and start a conversation to help the counsellor determine the best way to meet your son.
• A face-to-face meeting is ideal if this can be managed.
• Alternatively, a message to your son’s head of year or head of residence (for boarders) will also initiate a counselling meeting for him.  
• Counselling conversations remain confidential between the young person and the counsellor with respect to the Privacy and Consent form that each counselling client signs.

Health and Wellbeing contact details

Sacha Donaldson RN  sdonaldson@cns.catholic.ediu.au   07 4052 9132

Ms Marijke Keller mkeller@cns.catholic.edu.au  07 4052 9134

Br Roger Vallance fms  brroger@cns.catholic.edu.au   07 4052 9133

General email  sac.counsellor@cns.catholic.edu.au (a copy is sent to each counsellor)

Our students are on the road to growing into mature men of Saints, and the counselling team welcomes contact with parents and carers. We look forward to working with our students and their families in 2025.