Meet our new psychologist and counsellor at CGS:

My name is Marisa Smit and I am a registered psychologist, trained in South Africa, and have been practicing in New Zealand for nearly 10 years before arriving in Australia in January this year with my family.

I am passionate about partnering with young people in a therapeutic relationship, where we explore their individual needs, values and strengths to inform the development of tailored, evidence-based tools and strategies that they can continue to use autonomously throughout their lives. I find this work immensely rewarding and am looking forward to supporting some of our awesome Casey Grammar students this year!

Marisa Smit 

School Psychologist

I am delighted to be a part of the Casey Grammar community as a new addition to our Student Support Services team as Counsellor.

In partnership with Marisa, our psychologist, I look forward to creating a safe and nurturing environment where students can feel free to express themselves and their concerns (which may be impacting on their overall wellbeing).

I truly believe that it takes a village – and this is an idiom I have seen proven in my roles as a teacher, a counsellor and a parent. I look forward to working alongside our teachers to create safe, cohesive environments in which children can learn and grow according to their needs.

In my role as Counsellor, my goal is to build on the social and emotional capacity of our students by providing them with the tools and strategies they need to reach their full potential and achieve their academic and wellbeing goals.

Mandy Barr

Counsellor

Referrals to us are either done through Heads of House, or students can self-refer. Self-referral forms will be available to students on Seqta over the next few weeks. If you feel that your child needs additional support, please speak with your teacher/Head of House.

We would like to leave you with a beautiful poem by Erin Hanson:

NOT

By Erin Hanson

You are not your age,

Nor the size of clothes you wear.

You are not a weight,

Or the colour of your hair.

You are not your name,

Or the dimples in your cheeks.

You are all the books you read,

And all the words you speak.

You are your croaky morning voice,

And the smiles you try to hide.

You’re the sweetness in your laughter,

And every tear you’ve cried.

You’re the songs you sing so loudly,

When you know you’re all alone.

You’re the places that you’ve been to,

And the one that you call home.

You’re the things that you believe in,

And the people that you love.

You’re the photos in your bedroom,

And the future you dream of.

You’re made of so much beauty,

But it seems that you forgot,

When you decided that you were defined,

By all the things you’re not. 

A sense of wellbeing is essential to optimise learning.  The wellbeing of Casey Grammar School students is well supported by our team of experts.