Teacher-Counsellors Training Program
Core Counselling Skills Capacity Building Program (CCSCBP)
The Core Counselling Skills Capacity Building Program (CCSCBP) is a structured professional training program developed and delivered by Treasure Discovery in partnership with Treasure PsyClinic to strengthen school-based psychosocial support systems in Kenya. The program is designed to build capacity, equip, and empower School Guidance and Counselling Teachers with practical, ethical, and contextually relevant counselling competencies aligned with national education and mental health frameworks
The CCSCBP responds to the high prevalence of psychosocial, emotional, behavioural, and substance-related challenges among learners, alongside documented gaps in professional counselling skills among teacher-counsellors. It emphasizes applied skills, clear scope of practice, ethical boundaries, and effective referral mechanisms to ensure safe and impactful counselling within school settings
Program Components
Foundations of School-Based Counselling Practice
Builds foundational understanding of the purpose, scope, and role of guidance and counselling within schools, including ethical standards, confidentiality, safeguarding, and professional boundaries. Participants are equipped with a clear framework for responsible counselling practice.
Core Counselling Skills Development
A practical skills-focused component that equips teacher-counsellors with competencies in rapport building, active listening, empathy, assessment, basic case conceptualization, goal setting, and structured counselling processes tailored to children and adolescents.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Strengthens capacity to identify and respond to common learner challenges such as anxiety, depression, behavioural difficulties, trauma exposure, academic stress, and social adjustment issues, using developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed approaches.
Psychological First Aid (PFA) in School Settings
Equips participants with skills to provide immediate, short-term psychosocial support during crises such as bereavement, accidents, violence, or other critical incidents, while reinforcing stabilization and referral responsibilities.
Ethics, Risk Management, and Referral Pathways
Enhances understanding of ethical decision-making, confidentiality and disclosure, crisis identification, high-risk situations (including substance abuse and self-harm), and structured referral to professional mental health services.
Counsellor Self-Care and Sustainability
Builds awareness and skills in self-care, stress management, and burnout prevention, enabling teacher-counsellors to sustain effective practice while providing basic peer support to fellow teachers within ethical limits.
Program Goals
- To enhance core counselling competencies among School Guidance and Counselling Teachers
- To equip teacher-counsellors with practical skills to identify, assess, and respond to learners’ psychosocial needs
- To empower schools to provide ethical, responsive, and age-appropriate counselling services
- To promote early identification, prevention, and timely intervention for high-risk learner issues
- To strengthen referral systems and collaboration between schools, families, and professional service providers
Program Benefits
- Improved quality, consistency, and effectiveness of school counselling services
- Increased professional confidence and competence among teacher-counsellors
- Early detection and management of emotional, behavioural, and mental health challenges
- Improved learner wellbeing, discipline, engagement, and academic performance
- Strengthened school safety, teacher wellbeing, and overall institutional capacity
Core Counselling Skills Capacity Building Program (CCSCBP) is a high-impact, competency-based training intervention that equips and empowers Teacher-Counsellors to provide ethical, effective, and sustainable psychosocial support, contributing to healthier learners, stronger schools, and improved educational outcomes nationally
