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When a student showed guidance counsellor Ronald Facciol the bloody symbols she had carved into her arms so she could draw with her own blood, he knew he had to act fast.

 "This girl had to be seen," said Facciol, a counsellor at Francis Libermann Catholic High School in Scarborough, Ont. "She thought about (suicide) and had a method; as soon as a kid has a method (a counsellor) has to act upon it immediately."

Facciol rushed the girl to the hospital where she was assessed by psychiatrists and admitted for further treatment. She later recovered and graduated from high school.

That was one of Facciol's first experiences as a guidance counselor, 15 years ago.  "I always think about her and I wonder if I'm going to hear from her," he said. "I think that I will someday."

Everyday Facciol and his fellow counsellors help students with everything from adding and dropping classes and university admissions to suicide and pregnancy scares. They provide refuge and guidance for even the most difficult problems.

Judi Martin, a counsellor at Sir Wilfred Laurier Collegiate Institute in Toronto knows exactly what it means to need someone to listen to you. As an abused child who left home at 16 while still in high school, Martin said counsellors at a women's shelter helped her through her problems. After 20 years of being a guidance counsellor herself, she credits her experiences with helping her relate to her students better.

 "I think it makes me a better counsellor. I think I have a greater understanding of the kid who's not going through the 'Leave it to Beaver' life," Martin said.

Like Facciol, Martin has had to deal with extreme cases including abuse and neglect.

In one case, Martin returned to Toronto from a job in Oklahoma to testify on behalf of a girl who was badly abused by her boyfriend.

"(The student) said that the thing that made the biggest difference in her life was that I would go to all that time and trouble to come back all the way from Oklahoma to testify on her behalf," Martin said. "In her mind, no one else had cared enough and she was surprised that I cared that much."
 
Martin has also helped students approach their parents about difficult subjects. In one case, a male student came out to his parents during a counselling session and another girl approached Martin because she was scared to tell her religious family that she was pregnant.
In another situation, Martin worked with a student to help him obtain immigration documents from his home country that would allow him to work in Canada. After more than five years of trying, the student got his papers with Martin's help.

"I like that feeling that we really are partners and the partnership is between the parents, the school and the student," Martin said. "(Students) shouldn't feel that there is any topic they couldn't bring to their guidance counselor because we do more than option sheets and class changes, it's more than just paperwork."

Janice Walker, Student Services department head at Francis Libermann also urges students to come forward if they need advice.  She said conversations are always confidential unless the student or others are at risk.

"When a kid comes to me, my responsibility is to discuss with them their options, all options and to not be judgmental because that's not going to help the kid and not going to put me in a helping role to talk to them about (decision making)," she said.

Walker adds that it means a lot when students thank her for helping them.

"(As a counsellor) you don't get a whole lot of thanks, but when you do, it's really precious."