School-based counselling is an effective intervention for psychological distress in adolescents, but little is known about the processes leading to a therapeutic change in a Chinese sociocultural context. Twenty-five Chinese senior secondary school students and eight school counsellors in Hong Kong were interviewed, and the data were analysed thematically within a critical realist paradigm. Three change processes were developed: new ways of thinking, developing better relationships and experiencing positive emotions. The study's findings were broadly consistent with previous research into school-based counselling in Western contexts but not consistent with previous studies carried out with adult Chinese clients. Counselling in schools has the potential to deliver significant benefits to adolescents in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This article examines the implications of a new school counselling policy, namely, ‘one school social worker for each school’, for the professional identity of school counsellors and guidance and counselling services in Hong Kong primary schools. This paper reviews primary school counselling development since the 1970s with a focus on workforce planning. As a result, it identifies two themes: (1) counselling workforce planning has gradually shifted from purely government-led to more school-based planning, and (2) school counsellors with master’s-level counselling training qualifications are not adequately recognized in primary school settings. Making school counsellors visible to school principals, the Education Bureau and the public before the full implementation of the new policy in 2021/2022 is critical. The strategic positions of counsellor educators and counselling associations that are central to the advancement of the professional identity of school counsellors are discussed. Copyright © 2019 The Canadian Center of Science and Education. All Rights Reserved.

Aims: Little is known about the processes taking place in school‐based counselling, particularly in Hong Kong, where the sociocultural environment may influence these processes. This study investigated students' engagement with counselling from the perspective of students and school counsellors in Hong Kong.Method: Semi‐structured interviews were carried out with 25 ethnically Chinese students and eight counsellors over three schools in Hong Kong. Data were analysed thematically within a critical realist paradigm.Results: Four themes were developed which captured students' experiences of school‐based counselling: "Counselling embedded into the life of the school"; "Fears about counselling"; "Building a counselling relationship"; and "An ongoing but limited source of support." A top‐level theme called “Relationship in context” encompassed the four themes.Conclusions and implications: Counsellors' embeddedness into the school's organisational structure enabled them to act as an ongoing source of support, which students valued but which could also foster dependency. Counsellors taking on additional roles in the school led to confusion on the part of both students and counsellors and limited the effectiveness of counselling. Seeing counsellors as authority figures, being unwilling to disclose personal information outside the family and stigma around mental health issues were cultural perspectives which heightened students' fears related to attending counselling. Trust was an essential precursor of developing a counselling relationship in which the counsellor was perceived as warm, non‐judgemental, caring and empathic. A sensitivity to the sociocultural context and the embeddedness of counsellors in the school organisation are essential to the effective implementation of school‐based counselling. Copyright © 2019 British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

This research project attcmpted to study the use of Control Theory in counseling in a school for social development in Hong Kong. Based on counseling records of students, the effectiveness of control theory and the needs of students were explored. Results suggest that control Theory methods are useful in helping students develop the sense of self-discipline. The frequency of students who require counseling service may serve as a criterion for screening disruptive students
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Depression, anxiety and stress of moderate to severe levels were found in 21%, 41% and 27% of university students in Hong Kong respectively. The development of a screening tool for assessing adjustment difficulties among tertiary education students is helpful for counselling professionals in university. The Student Perception of University Support and Structure Scale (SPUSS), based on concepts articulated in Baumrind’s theory of parenting styles, to measure a supportive and structured college environment. The present study used exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to examine whether the SPUSS’ structure is consistent with the typology of four parenting styles. Secondly, factor scores were used to test the hypothesis that a supportive and structured university environment would be associated with students’ psychological adjustment as indicated by measures of depression, anxiety, and stress. Participants were 773 tertiary education students aged 18 to 25 from three Hong Kong universities. The SPUSS shows a four-factor structure consistent with models of parenting styles; the factor scores have excellent psychometric properties; and the factors represent students’ views of the university environment as authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, or neglectful. This model is different from Yau’s three-factor data-driven model, which identified factors representing psychological, academic, and social adjustment. (2) This study provides evidence of predictive validity in that higher scores on the authoritative factor were related to the lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. Only about 2% of students in Hong Kong leave university without completing theirdegree program, compared to rates of between 20% and 40% in the US and the UK. This number suggests that students in Hong Kong enjoy their studies and life atuniversity. However, one large-scale mental health survey of 7915 first year HongKong university students suggested otherwise. Depression, anxiety

This chapter examines eduplay, an educational form of play with Chinese characteristics, as a means of promoting social competence and play-based counselling in early childhood. Although the policies of the Hong Kong government increasingly require a play-based curriculum, many teachers and parents believe that play will detract from academics. However, the term "eduplay" was first introduced in Rao's article (2009), a form of play-based education with "Chinese characteristics" which captures the beliefs of teachers and parents about what should happen and occurs in Chinese early childhood settings (Rao & Li, 2009). Eduplay is a method of learning by playing, an approach that may be more acceptable to teachers and parents in Hong Kong. Results from an experimental study of preschools are presented, showing that eduplay was successful in reducing two problem behaviours, namely clinging and demanding attention. These results have implications for incorporating meaningful play into a play-based curriculum.
[Copyright © 2016 Taylor and Francis.]

School Counselling in a Chinese Context discusses research in school counselling in the Chinese context of Hong Kong schools and various educational settings, and provides a contextualized understanding of counselling issues. This book highlights key contextual conditions for counselling in Hong Kong – a Chinese society. The sub themes addressed in the book include school practices and teacher perspectives on guidance, counselling, behaviour support and school discipline; whole-school guidance program for identity construction; school counselling for ethnic minority students; contextual influence of the use of play therapy; school counselling for students with minority sexual orientation; Chinese cultural influence on counselling, etc. The book also develops new theoretical orientations to understanding various issues of counselling as arisen in the Chinese society of Hong Kong and helps school practitioners to develop culturally responsive approaches to school counselling for personal growth, spiritual and emotional education. The themes addressed in the book include: School practices and teacher perspectives on guidance, counselling, behavior support and school discipline .School counselling for ethnic minority students .Contextual and cultural influence of the use of play therapy .School counselling for students with minority sexual orientation .Chinese culture influence on parental participation in counselling School Counselling in a Chinese Context will be of interest to postgraduates and researchers in the field of Counselling, school psychology, child development and Chinese studies.
[Copyright © 2016 Taylor and Francis.]

Hong Kong secondary schools are concerned about the prevalence of student misbehavior. This paper reports the finding of a study investigating the characteristics of a resilient school and how resiliency was developed. Case studies of four secondary schools were conducted using interviews and textual analysis. Teacher and student discourses on discipline and resiliency were explored from the perspective of social constructivism. The narrative approach will also be employed (Clandinin & Connelly, 1995). The similarities and differences between school features were identified. Qualitative data from interviews and school texts, i.e., data concerning the school ethos, school rules, policy on behavior management, and the handbook for the school guidance team and school discipline team, were collected. Themes generated from the data were analysed, with the use of Grounded Theory Approach (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). The findings have shown that the narratives of school participants revealed the features of school resiliency, which could be built up with the dynamics of school, home, police force and social workers. Implications for the development of guidance and discipline policies and that of resiliency programme will be given. There will also be policy implications for the enrichment of teacher training programs.