A School Counsellor’s Diary by Loya Aagarwala a psychological counsellor working with adolescents for the last ten year aims to bridge the gap in the modern Indian parent-adolescent relationship.
The book by an alumnus of Brunel University of West London, and a counselor at Assam Don Bosco University Azara campus, is aimed at parents. It is written in an easy-to-understand style, with numerous real life examples.
This book also illustrates the genuine problems faced by modern adolescents in the classroom, family sphere, and wider world.
Divided into ten chapters dealing with hot topics of the day such as: quality time; physical and sexual abuse; discipline and parenting styles; expressing individuality; conflict in the home; teenage romances and relationships; addictive behaviours; from a child to an adult; recognizing parental fallibility; and death and grieving.
Presented through thirty-four case studies spanning a wide range of problems faced by the digital generation, the book includes seldom spoken-about issues such as masturbation, homosexuality, sexual abuse, self-cutting and even attempted suicide.
A School Counsellor’s Diary further guides parents towards imparting the skills and confidence that adolescents need to protect themselves in the new world. Each chapter gently eases the reader into a new issue through anecdotes, stories, and even technical knowledge presented in an easy-to-understand way.
Once the reader is familiar with the topic, several case studies are reproduced as if the author and the reader are sharing a chat over coffee. Written in the first person, the accounts are refreshingly compelling because they are presented as honest, easy-to-read conversational transcripts as they happened without the frills of text-bookish or technical language.
Often the narration shows the pain behind various problems, their manifestation, and ultimately, how the problem was solved/handled through weeks or months of counseling.
Each chapter of 244 page book ends with a list of red flags to watch out for, and possible courses of action to follow in case of problems. Since there is no ‘preaching’ narrative or ‘one-size-fits-all’ recommendations, it is hoped that discerning parents will use the book to understand the pitfalls facing their adolescents and initiate a better connection.
The book is available on all leading mail order sites.