Social care charity VSA is experiencing a significant rise in demand for its school counselling service as the coronavirus crisis continues.
The service, provided in conjunction with Aberdeen City Council, normally supports around 200 young people in schools as they deal with a range of emotional issues, from bullying and self-harm to family separations.
However, the current lockdown has placed additional pressure on children and young people as they adapt to isolation, change and loss caused by the current covid-19 pandemic.
The young people and their counsellors have also had to adapt to the new way of managing their counselling sessions through various platforms, including Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts and via phone and video calls.
VSA’s director of children and family services, Anna Garden, said: “This is obviously an unprecedented time and a lot of young people are struggling to adapt.
“Many of the children who access our services live with parents and carers who need professional support to manage the struggles of daily life and are unable to deal with the additional anxiety this pandemic is causing.
“Now, more than ever, we need to be there to support young people who are dealing with their general emotional well-being and mental health issues.”
VSA provides in excess of two million hours of care each year through its 22 facilities in the north-east and supports vulnerable people from birth to end of life.
To donate to support its work, visit you can visit giving.vsa.org.uk/cf/covid-19-appeal.