Student Counselor

Yayasan Tan Sri Dominic Vendargon; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Yayasan Tan Sri Dominic Vendargon seeks a dedicated Student Counselor to provide academic, personal and socioemotional counselling for a diverse student body from primary to secondary. You will guide students through mental and emotional challenges, life changes and career exploration.

As a trusted partner, you’ll collaborate with parents, teachers and campus leaders to support student well-being, record progress, and implement evidence-based strategies across all grade levels.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or associate degree in counselling. Master’s degree may be advantageous.
• Valid Registered Counselor certification and/or professional clinical.
• Minimum of 4 years professional counselling experience in educational settings.
• Experience with evidence-based counseling techniques for students.
• Excellent active listening and intercultural communication skills.
• Patient, friendly and accommodating personality.
• Strong social perceptiveness and an understanding of body language.
• Excellent interpersonal and mediation skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide individual and group counselling for primary and secondary students.
• Lead crisis management and safeguarding interventions with parents and staff.
• Maintain confidential records and prepare progress reports.
• Support academic advocacy by removing barriers to learning.
• Offer referrals to external mental health or vocational resources.
• Collaborate with teachers and parents to support student well-being.

Skills

Active listening

Intercultural understanding

Interpersonal skills

Mediation

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s or Associate degree in Counselling

Master’s degree in Counselling (advantageous)

Registered Counselor certification

Job description

The Student Counselor provides comprehensive academic, personal and socioemotional counselling to a highly diverse student group from primary to secondary. This role focuses on helping and supporting students navigate the unique challenges managing their mental and emotional well-being, life changes and personal goals. As such, we are seeking for a dedicated, compassionate student counsellor to join our school of community to provide educational and vocational guidance.

To be successful to be a trusted partner with the students, you should treat all students with patience and compassion and above all possess a strong level of social perceptiveness i.e. gentle persuasiveness and the ability make student feel safe and secure.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Parental Trust & Collaboration:

Act as a trusted partner and advisor to parents; conduct frequent consultations, workshops, and feedback loops to reassure and align families on strategies for their child's success.

Whole-School Student Support:

Provide tailored individual and group counseling for both primary aged children (developmental, social, behavioral play-based needs) and secondary students (adolescent challenges, academic pressure, emotional regulation).

Behavioral & Emotional Interventions:

Design and execute actionable behavioral plans that target both emotional wellness and classroom engagement, ensuring parents are actively involved in the process.

Academic Advocacy:

Work alongside teachers and parents to remove emotional or behavioral barriers to learning, optimizing academic success across primary and secondary curricula (e.g. IGCSE)

Crisis Management:

Lead immediate crisis response and safeguarding interventions, maintaining close, transparent communication with parents, Principals and Campus Director to navigate sensitive situations.

Database and Record-keeping

• Maintain accurate and confidential records of counselling sessions and student progress.
• Prepare reports and assessments to monitor student development and support decision-making.

Student confidence and well-being

• Listening to students' academic, emotional, social, and behavioral concerns in an open and nonjudgemental way.
• Working directly with students to develop solutions and set achievable goals.
• Assisting with conflict mediation and resolution between students, students and teachers, or parents and teachers to ensure students' goals are not disrupted.
• Providing one-on-one career guidance and skills assessment to assist with career development.
• Developing, monitoring, and assisting with counseling programs.
• Offering referrals to outside resources, such as for mental health, substance abuse, or vocational-related activities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or associate degree in counselling. Master’s degree in counselling may be advantageous.
• Valid Registered Counselor certification and/or professional clinical
• Minimum of 4 years professional counselling experience in educational setting. Those with experience counselling primary and secondary age group student are highly desirable.
• Experience with counseling principles, evidence-based techniques and practices as applied to students' problems and developmental needs.
• Excellent active listening and communication skills with good intercultural understanding
• Patient, friendly, and accommodating personality.
• Social perceptiveness and an understanding of body language.
• Excellent interpersonal and mediation skills.

Key Competencies & Skills with Parental Relationship Building

• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to quickly build rapport, project authority, and earn the trust of diverse, high-expectation parents.
• High emotional intelligence regarding varied parenting styles, cultural norms, and mental health perspectives.
• Ability to deliver sensitive feedback to parents with empathy, clarity, and absolute confidentiality.