“Like an Emotional Trash Can”: An Interview Study of Bhutanese School Guidance Counselors’ Perceived Challenges and Resources

Abstract

School counselors are responsible for students’ mental health and their increasingly complex issues. However, little is known about school counseling services in the Kingdom of Bhutan. This study conducted 28 semi-structured interviews with school guidance counselors in Bhutan, 19 online and 9 in-person, to investigate their perceived challenges and resources. The data were analyzed using a phenomenological approach to inquiry and thematic analysis proposed by Braun and Clarke (Qualitative Research in Psychology 3(2):77-101, 2006). The identified challenges and resources were grouped for further analysis according to Martin et al.’s (International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling 37(4):305-318, 2015) model of 11 factors influencing school counseling. The most often mentioned challenges were insufficient resources to cope with rising mental health needs and cultural barriers to the implementation of school guidance counseling, such as stigma and the role of corporal punishment. The most often mentioned resources were the importance of material resources, such as having a separate counseling room within the school, and the importance of support from external professionals, such as clinical counselors. In sum, the results revealed the need for (1) more resources to cope with the mental health needs of students, such as additional training, (2) more organization to systemize stakeholder collaboration and to clarify the school guidance counselors’ roles, (3) more awareness in the general population about school guidance counseling, including overcoming stigma towards mental health issues, and (4) more time for this profession to establish itself in the Kingdom.