From the Counselling Team
- Peaceful Parents - Mindfulness
- College Counselling Team
Peaceful Parents - Mindfulness. An Opportunity to stop, reflect and connect with your family
Every afternoon as I arrive home from my privileged position as a school counsellor, I am greeted at the front door by Milie, my best friend, a super cute Moodle dog. Millie's warm reception continually reminds me of the importance of being "Mindful - in the present moment," and not mind full of all the many interactions that have crossed my path during the day at school.
Probably the strongest predictor of life success for our students is being able to regulate emotion and build positive connections with one another.
This means when they are feeling anxious or avoidant that they can bring themselves back to being resilient. As parents, we should take the lead role in teaching our sons these skills - better still, we can show them how to do it. By focusing on listening, communication and mindful parenting we can demonstrate these skills to our sons day in and day out.
"In a family, if there is one person who practices mindfulness, the entire family will become more mindful." Thich Nhat Han
My attendance at a "Peaceful Parents" mindfulness course, pre-COVID times, in late 2019, left an indelible mark on my teaching/counselling career now over the last 45 years. This two day course which I attended with my work buddy, Mrs Mary Doheny, reinforced to me the essential notion, that we need to teach our children to live in the present moment, and to do this, we need to lead by our own example.
"Mindfulness in parenting significantly reduces children's stress levels." According to Professor Lee Waters, it is all about being present and giving each task your full attention. By taking the time to listen, and understand your son's problems, you promote trust and emotional connection.
Below are some helpful resources to further encourage parents to explore the peaceful world of mindfulness. It's my firm belief that if we can all learn to slow down, stop and enjoy living in the present moment then our children and families will be emotionally more connected and happier, particularly in dealing with life's stresses and struggles.
https://www.peacefulkids.com.au/
College Counselling Team
The College Counselling Team are available to provide confidential emotional and social support and guidance for your son and family. For reference our College Counselling Team contact details are shown below.
Mr Rick Russo
Counsellor (Full time Monday to Friday) working with students across all year groups.
Email: rrusso@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
Direct Phone: 9414 4359
School Mobile (in case of emergency): 0418 438 325
Ms Joe McCarthy
Psychologist (2 days per week: Tuesday and Thursday) working with students across all year groups.
Email: jmccarthy@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
Direct Phone: 9414 4322
Mrs Judy Gill
Psychologist (2 days per week: Wednesday and Friday) working with students across all year groups.
Email: jgill@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au
Direct Phone: 9414 4315
The Counselling Team, together with the Learning Support Team, look forward to providing CONFIDENTIAL support to assist your son to build his SELF CONFIDENCE / SELF ESTEEM AND RESILIENCE within a caring, supportive Catholic school community. Please do not hesitate to make contact with any of the above team should the need arise.
Mr Rick Russo - College Counsellor/Chaplaincy Services