A newly relocated Counselling Space at Tereora College is now open, offering support services for students dealing with various challenges.

The centre, which provides counselling and social services, has moved to a different part of the campus following the removal of the previous Student Support Centre from its original location, upstairs the Tereora main building, which now facilitates the newly opened Teacher Development Centre.

Concerns were raised by parents and members of the public about the space being repurposed for a new teacher training centre.

Mark Henderson, the college counsellor and manager of the Student Support Centre, said the service remains committed to its core functions despite the transition.

“Our services have changed a bit, but we’re still providing our core services, which are counselling and social services to students,” he said.

According to Henderson, one of the most common challenges students face is navigating their transition from childhood to young adulthood, particularly in the context of family relationships.

“A lot of the stress is related to family, how the families see the teenagers and how the teenagers see the families,” he explained. “So a lot of it is relational, which is why we have the social worker coming in.”

The Counselling Space also serves as a time-out room for distressed students and offers limited sickbay services. While the centre previously had visiting nurses and doctors, these services are currently unavailable.

The centre consists of three rooms and a kitchen and a waiting space in the living room.

Henderson hopes the centre will continue evolving, with improvements such as a bathroom facility in the future.

In addition to counselling, the centre distributes snack packs to students in need, in partnership with CITC, which also sponsors feminine hygiene products.

“We are grateful for their support and their suppliers,” Henderson said.

Despite operating with limited resources, the centre collaborates closely with agencies such as the Cook Islands Family Welfare Association, the Family Protection Unit, police, and the Ministry of Health to provide specialised support.

“We work closely with other agencies and we bring those specialists in,” Henderson said.

Currently, Henderson is the sole counsellor at the centre, though efforts are underway to bring in a female social worker.

“Everything depends a lot on resourcing, but it’s also important to get people that are qualified to do the job,” he said.

The Counselling Space operates Monday to Friday, from 8am to 3pm, and primarily serves Tereora College students.

However, support may extend to other schools upon request, depending on their needs.

Last year, the centre assisted hundreds of students with counselling, mental health concerns, social work matters and first aid.

Henderson emphasised the importance of having strong systems in place to respond to crises.

“A lot of the work is crisis work as well. We deal with a lot of emergency situations where students get to a point where they’re at risk,” he said.

Looking ahead, Henderson hopes to introduce more activities at the centre to meet students’ needs, as was done in the past.