Project Spotlight: Dear Em Counselor Project

By Ben Aizenberg, Ian Chow, Aarav Kumar, Simon Wordofa, and Irene Zheng, Brown University

“Guidance counselor for students' parents illustration concept on white background Pro Vector,” Vecteezy.

New Zealand’s school counseling system is critical in supporting students' mental health and well-being. We highlight the strengths and challenges within the system and offer recommendations for improving it. Our report focuses on three key areas: the systemic and social barriers that may prevent young people from accessing school counselors, the current understanding of the standard of school counseling in New Zealand, and the established strategies for improving the current system. 

The Counselor Perspective

School counselors in New Zealand use many methods to help their students, ranging from strength-based counseling (which focuses on building resilience and promoting individual well-being) to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and solution-focused brief therapy. Strength-based counseling—a form of therapy that focuses on a client’s strengths and abilities rather than their weaknesses—has been particularly impactful. The success of strength-based counseling, however, often hinges on institutional support. Counselors must collaborate with teachers and school leadership to reinforce their work with students.

Additionally, many counselors face overwhelming caseloads. The stress this causes is compounded by rampant understaffing: while a counselor-to-student ratio of 1:400 is recommended, many schools report ratios as high as 1:1400. This discrepancy forces counselors to prioritize urgent cases, leaving less time for preventative interventions. This forces counsellors to be more reactive versus proactive in addressing mental health concerns. Mental health issues are left to escalate instead of being addressed early on, which not only hurts the students but also becomes more work for counsellors. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated this burden. These increased demands have stretched counselors’ capacity, leaving them overworked.

The Student Perspective

Barriers to accessing school counseling also hinder its effectiveness. Students are frustrated by institutional issues, such as long wait times and inefficient appointment systems. Confusion over booking processes and limited visibility of counseling services further complicate access. Socio-cultural factors—notably including stigma surrounding mental health—only exacerbate these logistic hurdles. Many students fear judgment from peers or faculty and hesitate to seek help. Furthermore, power imbalances between staff and students may discourage students from trusting counselors.

Students themselves emphasize the importance of accessible, empathetic, and solution-oriented counseling. They want counselors who actively listen, offer validation, and are nonjudgemental. Even when the counselors meet students’ standards, however, they are often inaccessible due to institutional constraints. For counselors, the challenge lies in balancing institutional demands with student-focused approaches. The pressure to “fix” problems in line with administrative expectations clashes with their goal of supporting students holistically. For example, improving the academic performance and grades of a student in need of school counseling does not mean that the student is being fully supported – physically, mentally, or emotionally. 

Research on the effectiveness of school counseling in New Zealand is somewhat limited. A study by the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) used the Outcome Rating Scale to measure improvements in student well-being and found encouraging results. The ORS used four 10cm, visual analog scales to measure students’ personal, interpersonal, social, and overall well-being. Students filled out the brief form before counseling sessions, and overall scores ranged from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 40. Still, the study also underscored the need for more comprehensive and inclusive evaluations. Many counselors were unable to participate due to their heavy workloads.

Potential Solutions

These challenges can be overcome with systemic reforms. To reduce counselors’ workloads, schools can hire more counselors—though this would require an estimated investment of $66.5 million. Simplifying appointment systems, raising awareness of services, and reducing stigma through campus-wide campaigns could also improve access. Institutional support is just as important. Schools must explicitly integrate mental health services into their broader student support strategies and foster collaboration between counselors and educators. Leadership training on strength-based approaches can further reinforce the impact of counseling.

New Zealand’s school counseling system has a high potential to support students, but systemic changes are required to maximize its impact. By addressing staffing shortages, reducing barriers to access, and normalizing mental health care, schools can create a more robust framework for student well-being. These reforms are vital for ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive both academically and emotionally.