Guidance and Counselling

Guidance and Counselling

Guidance counselling in Terence MacSwiney Community College

Our Guidance service provides our students with information, advice and support throughout their time in Terence MacSwiney Community College.

The service guides students in three main areas: Academic, Career and Personal and Social development.

The aim of the guidance service is to help students make informed decisions about their education, future career and personal lives.

Career Guidance helps students by:

  • Finding and understanding information about colleges and courses.
  • Identifying strengths, interests, personality and skills.
  • Learning how to plan the next stage in a student’s life.
  • Learning about the world of work.
  • Learning about CVs, application forms (colleges and work) and preparing for interviews.

Students’ self-awareness and decisions are helped though Interest Inventories, Aptitude Testing, IT Programmes, Career/Course Investigations.

Visits to career events, college open-days, presentations by speakers from colleges/industry/youth welfare and support groups are arranged throughout the year.

Career Classes are timetabled throughout the Senior Cycle (TY to 6th Year).

Academic Guidance helps students by:

  • Understanding how school can benefit them.
  • Receiving information about subject choices and levels.
  • Learning how to study more effectively.
  • Improving exam techniques.
  • Learning about qualifications and the National Framework of Qualifications.

The service also liaises with learning support in relation to students with special educational needs.

Personal and Social Guidance helps students to:

  • Learn about relationships.
  • Understand feelings and moods.
  • Learn how make important decisions.

Personal Counselling helps students by:

  • Offering a student a chance to talk to someone in a private, caring and non-judgmental place.
  • Helping students with a wide range of issues: relationship problems, family problems, low self-esteem/confidence, identity, dealing with strong emotions, loss of a loved one, worried about the future, settling into school, fitting in, bullying, exam stress, drug and alcohol use, body image, peer pressure, depression, abuse ( physical, sexual or psychological) and self-harm.
  • Students are referred to the guidance service by the care team, teachers or by self-referral.

College and Further Education websites:

Other useful websites:

Emotional Support: