COUNSELLING CONNECTIONS

Welcome to Term 3. This term is often experienced as a very academically focussed term, especially in the higher year levels, so the Health and Wellbeing Centre team is pleased to offer our College community all the support possible.

What about gaming?

Some time ago the ABC Australian Story featured a parent’s experience of their young person’s gaming behaviours. The documentary offers some advice embedded in Dr Warburton’s own experiences to help people take control of the game, rather than the game controlling them! The link to the ABC transcript is here.

What are the signs of gaming addiction? Your son or daughter is:

• Thinking about gaming all or a lot of the time.
• Feeling bad when they can't play.
• Needing to spend more and more time playing to feel good.
• Not being able to quit or even play less.
• Not wanting to do other things that they used to like.
• Having problems at work, school, or home because of their gaming.

Of course, youngsters might not readily see this in themselves, so parental judgments and observations are critical, as are reports from school about falling performance, tiredness and inability to focus as well as inappropriate use of technologies while in classes.

If excessive gaming is an issue for one of your young people this article offers some great tips.

Help teens sleep better with Sleep Ninja®

Did you know that 40% of teens will experience significant sleep issues during high school? 

Sleep deprivation is common, especially among high school students. The signs and symptoms of sleep deprivation include:

• Concentration difficulties.
• Mentally "drifting off" in class.
• Shortened attention span.
• Memory impairment.
• Poor decision making.
• Lack of enthusiasm.
• Moodiness and aggression.
• Depression.

Does this sound a bit like a "typical" teenager to you?

A comprehensive Victorian government website is packed with good information, and I recommend it as good reading. The developing brain of a teenager needs between 8 and 10 hours of sleep every night. The effects of chronic, ongoing sleep deprivation may include:

• prolonged concentration difficulties
• mentally ‘drifting off’ in class
• shortened attention span
• memory impairment
• poor decision making
• lack of enthusiasm
• moodiness and aggression
• depression
• risk-taking behaviour
• slower physical reflexes
• clumsiness, which may result in physical injuries
• reduced sporting performance
• reduced academic performance
• increased number of ‘sick days’ from school because of tiredness
• truancy.

When overlooked, poor sleep can heighten the risk of developing anxiety or depression later in life. Black Dog Institute’s recently launched Sleep Ninja® app is the only evidence-based intervention shown to be effective in improving sleep quality and reducing signs of depression in young people. Introducing Sleep Ninja to your adolescent is simple and offers very effective support for regaining healthy sleep hygiene. Sleep Ninja can assist you to:

• educate young people about the importance and role of sleep
• bring awareness to any habits contributing to poor sleep
• teach behavioural and cognitive strategies to change unhelpful sleep patterns.

Sleep Ninja was developed in collaboration with young people, their parents/carers, psychologists, counsellors and sleep experts, and you can download it for free from the App Store or Google Play.

Welcome to Tracey and Frankie, Our New Therapy Dog Team

This term we welcome Mrs Tracey Bujora and Frankie to Saints. At the end of last term Karen and Cleo retired from therapy dog work here at Saints and we are delighted to welcome Mrs Bujora and Frankie. Frankie is a groodle - a poodle and golden retriever cross, a very gentle and placid dog. As usual, we will be in the Year 7 quad Monday mornings and all students are welcome to join us, say hello to Frankie and Mrs Bujora, pat Frankie and spend what time they like with Frankie.

Delta Dogs is a national organisation that seeks to provide therapy dogs in situations where interaction with an animal will be helpful for mental health. All Delta Dogs are selected for their positive interactions with people, are highly trained, always accompanied by their trained owner and the Delta Dog team is fully professionally insured.  If any parent has concerns regarding our Delta Dog program, please contact Br Roger directly.

Welcome to Stuart Hunter, Intern Counsellor in Term 3

Parents who have associations with Saints over recent years will be familiar with Br Roger’s practice of helping to train higher degree counsellors in practical placements – interns. This term we welcome Mr Stuart Hunter who brings deep experiences of leadership in remote and rural schools and a desire to work as a school counsellor.

Brother’s practice ensures that each boy is informed of Mr Hunter’s possible involvement in a session and is offered the opportunity to agree or not without prejudice. Working with an experienced counsellor in the last part of the graduate degree is an essential part of professional qualification in counselling, and each boy has the free option to be involved or not. Full confidentiality is always maintained in these professional matters and all interactions are under Brother’s oversight.

Br Roger   brroger@cns.catholicedu.au  40529135

Mrs Marijke Keller  mkeller@cns.catholic.edu.au  40529136