Students carry more than marks. Exam pressure, sleep, friendships, family expectations, choosing a stream and moving away from home all land on young people at once. Many schools and colleges want to offer counselling for students and are not sure what a programme should look like or where to begin.
This page sets out the main options for a school or college in India, what each involves, and how to take the first step.
Why a mental health programme helps
Students often will not tell a teacher or parent that they are struggling. A counsellor they can reach, who is not part of grading or discipline, gives them somewhere to say it. For the institution, a programme means that a worried teacher has a clear next step, instead of carrying the concern alone.
A programme does not have to be large to be useful. A few hours of a counsellor's time each week, a workshop each term and a clear route for referrals can already change how a campus responds.
What a school can arrange
Leshya works with schools on part-time counselling, where a counsellor is available for set hours rather than every day. It suits schools that do not need or cannot afford a full-time post. For how that compares with a full-time counsellor, see our guide to school counsellors in India.
Other routes for schools are career counselling for classes 9 to 12, from choosing a stream to planning what comes after; awareness sessions for teachers and staff on POCSO, on spotting concerns early and knowing what to do next; and a referral linkage, so a teacher who is worried about a child knows who to refer to and what the handoff looks like.
Schools have legal duties towards children. Please confirm yours with your legal adviser; this page does not replace that advice.
What a college or wellness cell can arrange
For colleges, Leshya offers student counselling and a named counsellor to refer to, so that a faculty member or warden has a person to send a student to. Wellness cells can ask for workshops on topics such as stress, sleep and exam pressure, run by counsellors on campus or online on a schedule that fits your term.
If something serious happens on campus, critical incident support can be planned with a person at Leshya, with a counsellor there for the people affected.
Privacy for students
A student will use counselling only if they trust it. Individual counselling stays between the student and their counsellor. Leshya does not tell the institution who attended or what was discussed.
That means the institution should plan around what it can know, which is that the service is available and being used, not the details. If a counsellor learns that a child may be at risk, the law, including POCSO, may require it to be reported, and the counsellor's professional duties apply. Agree how such a concern is handled when you scope the programme.
How Leshya matches counsellors
The counsellors come from those already on Leshya who have told us they take on work with schools and colleges. A person reviews every counsellor profile before it goes live, and credentials, experience and reviews are visible on the profile. Counsellors are matched to your inquiry, not picked from a list.
Sessions can be online or in person, depending on what the counsellor offers and what suits your campus. We confirm the format when we scope the programme with you.
How to start
Open the For organizations page and choose "Tell us what you need". Say whether you are a school or a college, how many students you have and what you are hoping for. A person at Leshya reads it, a short call follows, and scope and fees are agreed before anything starts. Our guide on sending an organization inquiry shows the form step by step.
If a student is in crisis, do not wait for a programme. Tele MANAS, the national helpline, is on 14416.
If you're thinking about harming yourself, please talk to someone right now. Tele MANAS is free, confidential and always open: call 14416. You matter.
The counselors here can help with ongoing support, but right now a call is faster.
Common questions
It can include one to one counselling for students, a named counsellor staff can refer to, and workshops on topics such as stress, sleep and exam pressure. Schools can also ask for career counselling for classes 9 to 12.
