Lived experiences of school counsellors: Needs after the earthquake


Çitil Akyol C.

JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND COUNSELLORS IN SCHOOLS, cilt.0, sa.0, ss.1-18, 2024 (SSCI)

Özet

School counsellors who work with children and young people within the education system and have experienced trauma themselves can be significantly affected by challenging events. The current research focussed on understanding the post-trauma needs of school counsellors who continue their work in earthquake-affected regions. A phenomenological design was used in this study. Twenty-two school counsellors who experienced the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude Maraş earthquakes in Türkiye in 2023 and are still working in the affected areas were interviewed. The findings showed that the needs of school counsellors after the earthquake could be categorized into three themes: (1) I want practice, not theory, (2) I want hope for myself and (3) I want people for my profession. Specifically, school counsellors reported a need for trauma and crisis intervention training, individual support, supervision and physical resources (e.g. collaboration, accommodation and stationery). The implications for school counselling are discussed.