TRAUMA-INFORMED COUNSELLING IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM: A SINE-QUA-NON FOR EFFECTIVE SCHOOL-BASED COUNSELLING IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This is a position paper focused on Trauma-Informed Counselling in the education system: a sine-qua-non for effective school-based counselling in Nigeria. Trauma-informed counselling is interested in the pervasive influence of trauma on relationships and life experiences, it distinguishes trauma's role in the position, emotions and behaviour of a person with a trauma history. Trauma is not learner-friendly, it inhibits learning and renders the learner helpless; therefore, the importance of trauma-informed counselling in school-based counselling cannot be overemphasised. Trauma is not peculiar to adults alone; children and youths also experience trauma because traumatic events usually occur in form of accidents, illnesses, disasters, and assaults. Trauma-informed counselling is needed in schools to ameliorate traumatic experiences among learners for effective learning experiences. Centred on the foregoing, the paper examined some concepts considered vital in this paper such as trauma, trauma care, the need for trauma-informed counselling in schools, potential trauma signs to look out for among learners in the school setting, case examples and effects of trauma impinging on learning in the school setting, counsellors role in trauma management in schools, conclusions and suggestions were made.