School Counsellor – Student Support and Guidance

Dasmesh Punjabi School is a BC-certified K–12 independent school located in Abbotsford, British Columbia. We are known for academic excellence, character development, and a strong focus on Punjabi-Sikh cultural education. With over 1,000 students and continued growth, we offer a supportive, inclusive, and values-based environment where both students and staff thrive. Our screened admissions process helps maintain a positive school culture with fewer behavioural issues, allowing teachers to focus on high-quality instruction and meaningful extracurricular activities. We welcome applications from qualified educators of all cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. Teachers benefit from a balanced workload that includes time for planning and assessment.

Status: Full-time

We are looking for a caring, knowledgeable and student-centred School Counsellor to support students’ academic, personal, social-emotional and career development.

The School Counsellor will work collaboratively with students, families, teachers, school leadership and community professionals. The role focuses on educational guidance, personal and social support, student well-being, career development and appropriate referral to additional services when required.

• Provide individual and small-group counselling, guidance and support related to students’ academic, personal, social and developmental needs.
• Support students with course and program selection, timetabling, graduation planning, study skills and transitions.
• Provide career exploration, work-experience guidance, résumé development, interview preparation and workplace-readiness support.
• Provide post-secondary planning, including information about programs, admission requirements, applications, scholarships and financial opportunities.
• Offer short-term, school-based support to students experiencing personal, social, academic or emotional challenges.
• Follow established school procedures for responding to urgent student concerns and make appropriate referrals when a student’s needs exceed the school’s counselling mandate.
• Work with teachers and staff to identify students who may benefit from additional support and develop practical strategies.
• Support students in developing positive relationships, resilience, self-awareness, decision-making skills and healthy approaches to managing challenges.
• Develop or deliver age-appropriate programming related to student well-being, career development, life skills and post-secondary planning.
• Collaborate with parents, caregivers, school staff and external professionals as appropriate.
• Participate in student-support meetings and contribute to coordinated support planning.
• Maintain accurate, timely and confidential records in accordance with school policies and professional requirements.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in counselling, psychology, education, social work, career development or a related field.
• Relevant experience supporting students, adolescents or young people in a school, counselling, community-service or related setting.
• Knowledge of educational guidance, career development, personal counselling or youth-support practices.
• Ability to build trusting relationships with students while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and confidentiality.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, organizational and documentation skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with students, families, teachers, school leadership and external professionals.
• Ability to support students with diverse learning, social-emotional, cultural and developmental needs.
• Effective spoken and written English communication skills.

Asset qualifications

• Master’s degree in counselling, counselling psychology, educational psychology, social work or a related field.
• Experience working as a school counsellor or in a K–12 educational setting.
• Knowledge of the BC curriculum, graduation requirements and post-secondary pathways.
• Experience coordinating work-experience placements or career-development programming.
• Registered Clinical Counsellor, Canadian Certified Counsellor or another relevant professional designation.
• BC teaching certification, Independent School Teaching Certificate or eligibility to obtain the applicable certificate.
• Experience developing or delivering student well-being, career or life-skills programming.
• Experience using restorative or relationship-based approaches in a school setting.
• Experience working collaboratively with external professionals and community-based support services.
• Experience working respectfully with Punjabi, Sikh, South Asian or other culturally diverse communities.

Equivalent combinations of education, training and relevant experience may be considered.

Please submit a cover letter and résumé to [email protected] with Position Title in the Subject Line.

Dasmesh Punjabi School welcomes applicants of all backgrounds. Successful candidates will be required to provide a satisfactory criminal record check (vulnerable sector). We thank all applicants; only those selected for an interview will be contacted.