Counselling helps to clear confusion. Sounds simple, but it?s not always that easy if you are a grown-up.

A survey conducted by Sairindhree Sen, a student of the M.Ed course at Calcutta University, as a special paper for her project, found that youngsters were keen to receive counselling and guidance, but adults were often not open to the idea.

But the tide is turning. Says Reeta Chatterjee, principal, Apeejay School, Park Street: ?There used to be a stigma attached to counselling. But parents and teachers are opening up to the idea, and are realising its importance.?

She explains: ?It?s about the child talking and someone listening patiently. Both Apeejay schools, Park Street and Salt Lake, have counsellors. We send out notices to the parents telling them about it.?

Sen set out to study the views of students, parents and teachers, on the need for guidance and counselling in educational institutions, and talked to 75 of them (25 from each group).

The students were in the age group of 15 to 21, and the teachers and parents taught or had children in this age group. It was conducted under the supervision of Prof P.K. Chakraborty and Prof Madhumala Sengupta.

The lecturer of English in Vidyasagar College for Women and English method in Jadavpur University?s B.Ed department unearthed some revealing facts through her survey .

Students were candid about issues on which they would like to consult mental health experts ? from ?how to make parents understand our points of view? to ?sometimes I feel that nobody understands me? and sexual harassment.

The issues the teachers came up with included behavioural problems, abusive language and truancy, as well as family-related issues like broken homes and parental rigidity. Sex education, failure, addiction and loneliness were some of the other problems for which they felt youngsters need counselling.

The parents were more reticent when it came to their kids seeking help.

But some came up with issues like ?too much fiddling with mobile phones?, rash conduct with elders, ?dream world-kind of notion about things?, and problems related to love and sex education.

Neelkanth Gupta, principal of The Heritage School, feels: ?Counselling enables kids to work out their own solutions to problems. It provides them with insight into how they think and feel. And all this happens in a non-judgmental and confidential environment.?

Adds Mira Kakkar of Thoughtshop Foundation, an NGO that provides counselling to the youth: ?They need objective advice from a third person, a professional who can guide them. People are gradually waking up to the need for counselling.?

For students, counselling is important, if not always helpful. ?I was having some family problems, so I went to see our unofficial counsellor in school, who is a teacher. It didn?t really help me, but students do need counselling from time to time. I know quite a few for whom it has been beneficial,? says a Class XII student of Calcutta International School.