Malaika Rao

I have worked as a School Counsellor and have three years’ experience being part of school wellbeing teams. I have graduated from Victoria University with a Masters in Counselling from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, finishing a year’s placement at Brentwood Secondary College, wherein I provided individual, online and group support as well as counselling to young people. My current career goal is to continue working in a counselling-oriented settings to offer support to individuals by assisting them with their mental health needs, employing skills of emotional regulation, resilience, solution-focused active listening, empathy, positive regard and empowerment.

MARCH 2023 – JULY 2025 SCHOOL COUNSELLOR, CRAIGIEBURN SECONDARY COLLEGE

● Maintained a caseload of over 30 students at a time and organized weekly or fortnightly counselling sessions. ● Organised and managed Rainbow Alliance- an LGBTQIA+ space for individuals, which is a lunchtime club that runs once every week. ● Assisted with emotional regulation, distress tolerance, debrief and decompressing sessions to allow clients to recuperate from heavy emotions. ● Utilised evidence-based approaches like art-based therapy, Cognitive Behavioural techniques, Mindfulness meditations, Strength-based strategies, Mindfulness walking and scavenger hunts, Creative and solution-focused strategies, introducing organizational skills and habit building through consistency and practice. ● Linked clients to additional external support with an aim of providing them with a holistic support to manage their wellbeing needs internally as well as outside of school. ● Conducted a risk assessment, safety planning and mandatory reporting adhering to Child Safety Standards, Ethical codes of conduct and school policy and procedure. ● Collaborated with various staff and management, including a clinical supervisor, in the organisation to support individual’s therapeutic outcomes.

DEC 2020 – DEC 2021 WELLBEING WORKER, BRENTWOOD SECONDARY COLLEGE

● Completed 240 hours of counselling and supervision and engaged in counselling with 25 students in one year. ● Engaged in outreach work, in-class support, group facilitation borrowing strategies from CBT, Strength-Based Approach, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Mindfulness, etc. ● Doing safety/holiday plans with students and attending sessions on mandatory reporting, case noting, child safe standards, critical incidents, ethics, and values while counselling. ● Engaging in briefing and debriefing with the supervisor and other well-being team members to enhance self-reflective practice and professional development. ● Mentoring and guiding placement team of 25-30 wellbeing workers and giving feedback and collaborating to deal with specific cases and student needs. ● Maintaining case notes and documentation of sessions. Liaising with senior staff, including the teachers, wellbeing team members, supervisors, and the Head of Wellbeing.

MASTERS IN COUNSELLING, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY (MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA)- AUGUST, 2022

BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE, JAI HIND COLLEGE (MUMBAI, INDIA)- MAY, 2019