From the Counsellors
About the St Mary's College counselling team
Welcome to our new school counsellor, Rachel Sylvester, who joins the St Mary's College counselling team next week.
Rachel will be working predominantly in the Senior School (replacing Jane Sutcliffe). An experienced social worker, Rachel most recently worked with Save the Children Australia's Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) in the Clarence area.
She has also previously worked for the Tasmanian Sexual Assault Support Service; as a social worker in a variety of Tasmanian Government schools, and in a supervisory role with social work students at the University of Tasmania.
Rachel is passionate about working with children and young adults, and has a wealth of experience providing counselling services for children and young people who have complex needs and may have experienced trauma.
Through her work, Rachel aims to help girls and young women attain gender equality and question some societal trends especially faced by girls. Rachel also has a special interest in Aboriginal culture and identity and in how identity helps to shape us all.
Gai Bath has been in the role of Junior School Counsellor for the past seven years and is well known to many students and their families, working with an average of 90 students across the school year.
After a long career as a classroom teacher and Deputy Director of the Friends’ Junior School, Gai completed a Master of Counselling in 2008. Combining teaching and counselling, she worked part-time as a child and adolescent counsellor with Anglicare for a number of years. She has facilitated a number of parent education programs and currently combines counselling at St Mary's College with some private practice too.
Recognising that social media has added another layer of interest and complexity to children’s lives, Gai's specialises in understanding the impact of anxiety on a child's wellbeing and ability to thrive. In her role, Gai helps children to interact online and face-to-face in positive ways, to develop relationships which are respectful and understanding, and to work positively through conflict.
Gai and Rachel are committed to helping your child/ren if they are struggling with any aspect of life, and they are keen to communicate with you regarding concerns for your child/ren.
Students are shown compassion, patience, care, support, optimism for the future and an enthusiasm to help them improve their situation and to thrive.
Please do not hesitate to contact Gai or Rachel to talk through an issue impacting your child/ren or to make an appointment.
Gai Bath (Kinder–Year 6) and
Rachel Sylvester (Year 7–12)
SMC Counsellors