Mental Health & Wellbeing
Students · Staff · Families

Wellbeing at Dwight Seoul.
For everyone in the community.

This section covers mental health referral pathways, early wellbeing monitoring, staff support, and Seoul-specific external resources for families. It is not a clinical service, it is a guide to the support that exists and how to access it.

August 2026, update before use: Replace [School Counselor] with the confirmed name and contact details. Replace [Homeroom Teacher] references where role-specific. These are intentional placeholders due to expected staff changes.
Student referral pathways

Two pathways. Different purposes.

Academic inclusion concerns and mental health concerns require different responses, different timelines, and different people. Do not use the academic referral pathway for a student you are worried about emotionally or mentally. Use the mental health pathway below.

Mental health & emotional wellbeing
When you are worried about how a student is coping
  • Step 1: Talk to the student's homeroom teacher or advisor first, do they share your concern? Have they noticed anything?
  • Step 2: Contact [School Counselor] directly, email or in person. You do not need to wait for a formal referral. A brief conversation is enough.
  • Step 3: If the concern is urgent, a student in distress, a disclosure of self-harm or abuse, go directly to the counselor or Director of Inclusion. Do not wait. Open the Urgent Concern Pathway if needed.
  • Step 4: Document what you observed and when. Not a clinical assessment, a factual note. Date, what you noticed, what was said.
Academic inclusion concerns
When you are worried about how a student is learning
  • Step 1: Try two to three Tier 1 UDL strategies first and observe for three to four weeks.
  • Step 2: Talk to your Quest Co-Teacher (KG–G6) or Director of Inclusion (G7–G12).
  • Step 3: Submit a Student of Concern referral via the Refer a Student tool.
  • Step 4: The Quest team will follow up within five school days. SST reviews within two weeks.

For students, G6 to G12

This section speaks directly to students. Share it with your advisory or homeroom group at the start of the year.

If you are struggling, you do not have to figure it out alone.
Everyone finds things hard sometimes. School pressure, friendships, family, how you feel about yourself, these are all things you are allowed to need support with. Asking for help is not weakness. It is the most self-aware thing you can do.
Talk to your advisor
Your advisor checks in with you every morning. They are the first person to talk to if something is wrong. You do not need to have the right words, just show up.
Talk to the school counselor
[School Counselor] is here for conversations about anything, not just crises. You can drop in, send an email, or ask your advisor to connect you. What you share is confidential, with one exception: if you are at risk of harm.
Talk to a Wellbeing Champion
If talking to an adult feels like too much, start with a peer. Wellbeing Champions are trained to listen, not to fix, not to judge. They will always connect you to an adult if they need to.

Signs to watch for, early indicators across age groups

These are not diagnostic criteria. They are patterns that warrant a quiet conversation with the student and a connection to the counselor. Many are normal in small doses, it is persistence and change from baseline that matters.

🌱 KG–G5, watch for
Persistent reluctance to come to school, beyond normal adjustment
Significant change in appetite, sleep, or energy reported by family
Sustained withdrawal from peers who were previously important
Regression, behaviors from a younger developmental stage returning
Persistent physical complaints (headaches, stomach aches) with no medical cause
Consistently stuck in Yellow or Red zone, working toward regulate across the day
Aggressive or unusually passive responses to normal frustration
⭐ G6–G12, watch for
Significant drop in academic engagement or performance without explanation
Increasing isolation, eating alone, avoiding previously enjoyed activities
Visible distress around assessments disproportionate to the stakes
Changes in appearance, weight, or self-care
Statements suggesting hopelessness, worthlessness, or wanting to disappear
Increased absence on particular days (PE day, performance day, assessment day)
Giving away possessions or saying goodbye in unusual ways
If a student says anything that suggests they may harm themselves or others: Do not leave them alone. Contact the school counselor and Director of Inclusion immediately. Open the Urgent Concern Pathway. Do not promise confidentiality. Do not attempt to manage this alone.
🔄 Transition wellbeing, high-risk moments
Students with anxiety, attachment difficulties, trauma history, or significant social-emotional needs are most vulnerable at transition points. The mental health context of these students must travel with them, not just the academic profile.
August, new yearNew teacher, new classroom, new routines. High anxiety for attachment-sensitive students. Stability plans must be active from Day 1.
G5 → G6 MYP transitionThe biggest structural shift in the school. Subject teachers, multiple relationships, new expectations. The counselor should be briefed on every vulnerable G5 student before the end of the year.
New student arrivalsInternational transitions carry grief, identity disruption, and language stress. Buddy systems and Wellbeing Champions help, but the counselor should be aware of every new student whose profile suggests vulnerability.
Early wellbeing monitoring

Termly check-in. Not a screener. A conversation starter.

This is a simple advisor-administered tool used termly, not a clinical screener. Six questions that identify students who are coping but not thriving. Results are shared between the advisor and the school counselor in a brief check-in conversation. Low scores flag a student for a quiet one-to-one conversation, not an automatic referral.

How to use this: The advisor completes this based on their observations over the term, not the student's self-report, not a questionnaire the student fills in. You are rating what you have observed. A score of 1 or 2 on any question is a signal to follow up, quietly, with curiosity, not with alarm.
📊 Wellbeing observation, advisor-completed, termly
Staff wellbeing

You cannot pour from an empty cup.
This applies to teachers too.

Trauma-informed practice, inclusive teaching, and genuine student connection require regulated, supported adults. Staff wellbeing is not a luxury, it is a prerequisite for the school's inclusion goals. This section names what is available, what to watch for in yourself, and where to go when things are hard.

🏥
Employee Assistance Programme
Contact HR or the school business manager for details of the current EAP offer. Most EAPs provide confidential counselling sessions, financial advice, and legal support. If the school does not currently have an EAP, raise this with the new head of school in August as a strategic priority.
🤝
Peer support within the school
Talk to a trusted colleague. Talk to the Director of Inclusion if inclusion-related stress is a factor. The monthly Inclusion by Design sessions include a wellbeing check-in for staff as well as professional learning, you are allowed to name when you are finding things hard.
⚠
Secondary trauma and vicarious stress
Quest Co-Teachers and others working closely with high-needs students are at risk of secondary trauma, absorbing the emotional weight of the students they support. Signs include: persistent low mood, difficulty leaving work behind, reduced empathy, cynicism about students. If you recognize this, name it. It is not weakness, it is an occupational hazard that needs a response.
🚪
When a student relationship is difficult
Sometimes the issue is not the student. A teacher who finds a particular student activating, who is reacting rather than responding, needs support too. Talk to the Director of Inclusion. There is no judgment. The question is not "what is wrong with you?", it is "what does this student or this dynamic bring up, and what support would help?"
Signs of secondary trauma, for staff working with high-needs students
You might notice in yourself
Difficulty switching off from work, thinking about students outside school hours
Reduced patience or empathy, feeling numb to student distress
Persistent exhaustion that sleep does not resolve
Dreading specific students or situations you previously managed well
Intrusive thoughts about a student's situation or a disclosure
What helps
Regular supervision, even brief check-ins with the Director of Inclusion
Clear end-of-day routines that signal the boundary between work and home
Peer support, talking to a trusted colleague who understands the context
Professional support outside school, EAP, private counselling, supervision
Naming it, secondary trauma only accumulates when it is not acknowledged
The most important thing you can do for your students
Regulate yourself first. Students co-regulate with the adults around them. A calm, warm, consistent adult presence is the most powerful wellbeing intervention available in a classroom, and it is only available when that adult is okay themselves. Looking after your own wellbeing is not a distraction from the work. It is the work.
For families

Supporting your child's wellbeing.
What the school can tell you.

Mental health can be a difficult topic for families, particularly across cultural backgrounds where the language and concepts are unfamiliar or stigmatised. This section is for families who are worried about their child, want to understand what support looks like at school, or need guidance on where to go for help outside school.

August 2026, update before sharing with families: Confirm school counselor name and contact details. Confirm which external referral services are still operating as listed.
What does the school counselor do?
English · 한국어
The school counselor works with students on their social, emotional, and mental health needs. They provide individual support, run group sessions, and work with teachers and families. If you are worried about your child, contact the counselor directly, you do not need to go through a formal process first. Everything you share is treated with respect and confidentiality, with one important exception: if a child is at risk of harm, the counselor has a duty to take action.
학교 상담교사는 학생들의 사회적, 정서적, 정신 건강 문제를 지원합니다. 개별 상담, 그룹 세션을 진행하며 교사 및 가족과 협력합니다. 자녀에 대해 걱정이 있으신 경우 공식적인 절차 없이 상담교사에게 직접 연락하실 수 있습니다. 모든 내용은 비밀로 유지됩니다. 단, 아이가 위험에 처한 경우에는 적절한 조치가 필요합니다.
Common signs of stress and anxiety in school-age children
In younger children (KG–G5) Reluctance to go to school that persists beyond a few days. Stomach aches or headaches that have no medical cause. Changes in sleep, difficulty falling asleep, waking frequently, nightmares. Becoming more clingy or more withdrawn than usual. Regression to behaviors from when they were younger.
In older children and teenagers (G6–G12) Significant drop in motivation or school engagement. Spending much more or much less time alone. Changes in eating or sleeping. Increased irritability or emotional outbursts. Saying things like "I'm stupid," "nobody likes me," or "I wish I did not have to go to school." Visible anxiety about exams or social situations that seems out of proportion.
How to start the conversation at home
What works Choose a relaxed moment, not immediately after school, not at the dinner table when everyone is tired. Walk side by side rather than face to face. Ask open questions: "What was the best and worst part of today?" "Is there anything you are finding hard right now?" Listen without immediately trying to fix. Name what you notice without judgment: "I've noticed you seem a bit quiet this week, how are you doing?"
What to avoid Questioning immediately after a difficult day, give them time to decompress first. Minimising: "Everyone feels like that sometimes" can feel dismissive even when well-meant. Comparing to siblings or other children. Solving the problem before they have finished telling you what it is. Expressing your own anxiety about their anxiety, this tends to increase theirs.
External resources, Seoul

Where to go outside school.

When a student needs support beyond what the school can provide, therapy, psychiatric assessment, specialist evaluation, families need to know where to go in Seoul. English-language provision is available but navigating it is not always easy. This list is a starting point, not an exhaustive directory.

Update annually: Services in Seoul change frequently. Verify contact details and English availability before sharing with a family. Last reviewed: May 2026.

Counselling & psychotherapy

Private practice · English
Korea Psychological Group
English-language therapy for children, adolescents, and adults. Multiple therapists with international training. Yongsan and Gangnam locations. Sliding scale fees available.
English available
Counselling center
Seoul Global Center
Counselling services for foreign nationals in Seoul. Limited sessions available at reduced cost. Referral to longer-term providers. Located in Jung-gu.
English available
Hospital-based · Bilingual
Samsung Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry
Child and adolescent psychiatry. Assessment and treatment including medication management. English-speaking clinicians available. Referral recommended.
Bilingual
Hospital-based · Bilingual
Severance Hospital, Child Psychiatry
Comprehensive assessment for learning differences, ADHD, ASD, and anxiety. Linked to Yonsei University. English documentation available on request.
Bilingual

Educational psychology & assessment

Educational psychology
Autism Partnership Korea
ABA therapy and assessment for children with ASD. English-speaking staff. Summer intensive programs available. Strong track record with international school families in Seoul.
English available
Assessment center
Korea Psychological Association, referral list
Psychological assessment including psycho-educational evaluation, IQ assessment, and learning difference assessment. Ask the school counselor for the current recommended practitioner list.
Bilingual

Crisis support

24-hour crisis line
Korea Suicide Prevention Hotline
1393, free, 24 hours, Korean language. For English-speaking callers, ask for an interpreter or use the web-based chat service via the Ministry of Health and Welfare website.
Crisis · 1393
Emergency services
Korean emergency services
119 for medical emergencies. 112 for police. Both lines have basic English support. For a student in immediate danger, call 119 first, then contact school leadership.
Emergency · 119 / 112
For families navigating the system: The school counselor can provide a brief referral letter in English for any family seeking an external assessment or psychiatric appointment. This can significantly reduce waiting times and helps the external provider understand the school context. Ask [School Counselor] for this before your first appointment.