Online Counselling for Teachers
Closing the Wound offers online counselling in English for teachers in Myanmar and Thailand, at international schools, language schools and other English-medium schools. Sessions are with a US-trained, master’s-level therapist who has taught in international schools in Southeast Asia and has worked with teachers as clients. Teachers from abroad and from Myanmar and Thailand are all welcome. You can start with a free 15-minute intro call.
Common Concerns
Teachers may come to counselling with concerns such as:
- exhaustion that a weekend or a holiday no longer fixes
- workload, marking and pressure from parents
- difficult relationships with school leadership or colleagues
- deciding whether to renew a contract, change school or leave teaching
- loneliness, or a partner or family who is struggling to settle
- saying goodbye again and again as colleagues and students move on
What Are the Signs of Teacher Burnout?
The World Health Organization describes burnout as the result of chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It describes three dimensions: feeling drained or exhausted, growing mental distance or cynicism about your job, and feeling less effective at work (WHO, 2019). Burnout is not classified as a medical condition, and it can overlap with anxiety and depression. If these signs sound familiar, counselling is a place to look at what is driving them.
Teaching in an International School
International schools bring pressures of their own. A survey of 1,065 staff at international schools in 72 countries found that appreciation, good relationships and a sense of belonging supported wellbeing, while weak leadership, heavy workloads and limited resources weighed against it. The authors also point to how often staff move between schools (Wigford and Higgins, 2019). Living far from family can add to all of this.
Confidentiality and Your School
Your school is not told that you are in counselling. Nothing you say is shared with your employer without your consent, except in the limited cases set out on the Privacy page. Sessions are online, so there is no waiting room where you might meet a colleague or a parent.
How Sessions Work
Sessions are online and last 60 or 90 minutes, with no travel after a long school day. They look at what is draining you now, what you want from your work and life, and practical steps you can take. The number of sessions varies and is reviewed together.
Methods Used
- CBT techniques and mindfulness, for handling stress and worry day to day.
- Narrative therapy, for separating who you are from the pressures of the job.
- Somatic work, for noticing how stress shows up in the body and settling it.
- Parts work, for when part of you wants to stay and part of you wants to leave.
Fees
| Session | Fee |
|---|---|
| Intro call, 15 minutes | Free |
| 60-minute session | 250,000 MMK or 2,000 THB |
| 90-minute session | 350,000 MMK or 2,700 THB |
Couples and families are the same price.
Arranging a First Session
Email closingthewound@gmail.com to arrange a free 15-minute intro call or a first session. A short message is enough, and you do not need to use a school email address. Please leave out clinical details, which are better discussed in session. If you need help urgently, see Emergency contacts.