School Stress

Exam and assessment anxiety

Anxiety can shut your brain down right when you need it most. We work on understanding what's driving the anxiety and building strategies that keep you functioning under pressure.

In practice: Identifying exam triggers with your counsellor, then building a pre-assessment routine you can rely on, from the night before to the moment you sit down.

Perfectionism & fear of failure

Grades can start to feel like a measure of your whole worth. We work on separating performance from identity.

In practice: Setting a deliberate B-minus target for a low-stakes task to practise "good enough", then debriefing what that felt like.

School refusal & avoidance

Sometimes the anxiety about going to school is bigger than anything happening there. We work on understanding the avoidance pattern and gently shifting it.

In practice: Tracing a typical school morning from the first worry to the front door, then agreeing on one small step to try this week.

ADHD & learning differences at school

School wasn't designed for ADHD brains. We help you work with your brain, build strategies that fit you and advocate for what you need.

In practice: Trying study set-ups in session, like timers, body doubling and movement breaks, and keeping the ones that help.

Family pressure around school

Expectations from home can add another layer of stress. We work on how to communicate your needs and handle pressure without shutting down.

In practice: Role-playing a conversation with parents about what you need, using specific phrases to try and a plan for how it might go.

Post-school uncertainty

Not knowing what comes after school (TAFE, work, uni, a gap year) is its own stress. We help you figure out what you want.

In practice: Listing your interests alongside practical options, researching three that overlap, and planning one small next step for each.

What it costs

Pricing for school stress counselling follows the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. What you pay depends on the session type and whether it falls on a weekday, evening, or weekend. Sessions are also available privately (self-funded) or through other schemes if NDIS doesn't apply to you. Cost is always confirmed in writing before anything starts.

Am I eligible?

Support for school stress usually sits under NDIS Capacity Building, most often Improved Daily Living, with Improved Relationships also relevant where family conversations are part of the work. If a young person's plan includes that funding, it can usually be used here. A support coordinator or plan manager can help check. Private, self-funded access is also available without any NDIS involvement.

Where we work

We're based in Thomastown and work across Greater Melbourne, including the northern, western, and eastern suburbs. Sessions are also available online, which suits many students around school and study commitments. Some support extends into regional Victoria too.

How to start

Reach out by phone, our contact form, or email. The first conversation is about what's going on at school and beyond, and you share as much as you want to. From there we match you with a practitioner who suits you, and a first session is usually booked within a few business days.