Theory Matters | The Guidance Counsellor

Paul talks with Claire Considine, Teaching Fellow in the School of Human Development, Dublin City University (DCU) and doctoral researcher, about the evolving role of guidance counsellors and what their experiences reveal about teacher wellbeing, professional identity and sustainability in education.What is a Guidance Counsellor?Claire clarifies the role of Guidance Counsellor, perhaps the equivalent of the Head of Pastoral Care in many other areas around the world. Guidance counsellors in post-primary schools typically hold a dual identity, they are both qualified teachers and specialist counsellors.This dual role, Claire argues, brings both richness and risk. While it allows for deep relational work with pupils, it also exposes counsellors to intense emotional labour, role ambiguity and competing expectations from schools, parents and systems.From Surviving to ThrivingClaire’s doctoral research explores occupational wellbeing among guidance counsellors through the lens of “surviving versus thriving.” She challenges deficit-based narratives that frame wellbeing.Claire highlights how guidance counsellors are often expected to absorb complex emotional and safeguarding responsibilities without commensurate structural support. Thriving, she suggests, is not about coping better, but about designing roles and systems that are humane, realistic and professionally respectful.Policy, Pressure and Professional IdentityThe discussion situates guidance counselling within wider educational pressures, including accountability cultures, exam-driven systems and constrained resources. Claire reflects on how recent policy changes in Ireland have reshaped the guidance role.Paul and Claire explore how these pressures mirror broader trends affecting teachers across the UK, Ireland and further afield. These pressure give rise to erosion of autonomy, intensification of work and a growing disconnect between policy intention and lived professional experience.Relationships, Ethics and CareA recurring theme throughout Claire and Paul’s conversation is the ethical weight carried by guidance counsellors. Claire speaks candidly about the emotional demands of supporting young people through trauma, uncertainty and transition, often while maintaining professional boundaries and confidentiality in complex school environments.Their conversation underscores the importance of relational trust, reflective practice and collegial support, not as “soft” extras but as central, core conditions for effective educational work.Why This MattersWhile rooted in the Irish context, the conversation resonates internationally. It raises fundamental questions about how education systems value care-based roles, how wellbeing is conceptualised and whether schools are structured to allow professionals not just to endure, but to flourish.Chapters00:00 Guidance Counselling & Wellbeing02:54 Claire's Journey: From Teaching to Guidance Counselling06:12 The Role of Guidance Counsellors14:47 The Invisible Emotional Labour of Teachers31:19 Emotional Outbursts in the Classroom46:53 Staff Well-Being and Leadership49:16 Spiritual Well-Being55:06 Purpose and Meaning in EducationFollow us, we're worth it:🔗 Website🔗 Spotify🔗 Instagram🔗 Bluesky🔗 X (Twitter)#leadership #education #teacher #care #school #schoollife #inspiration #support #podcast #video#education, #leadership, #podcast, #teacher, #wellbeing, #educatorwellbeing, #academicwellbeing, #teachers, #schools, #highereducation, #educationleadership, #guidancecounselling, #schoolleadership, #studentmentalhealth, #pastoralcareinschools, #professionalidentityinteaching, #educationalleadership, #safeguardinginschools, #mentalhealthineducation, #teacherretention, #thrivingnotsurviving, #wholeschoolwellbeing, #educationpolicyandpractice, #emotionallabourinteaching