Student Wellbeing

At KGS we recognise that flourishing at school is determined as much by your wellbeing as it is by your academic ability: if you feel healthy and content within yourself and your environment, then you are far more likely to perform to the best of your academic potential.

Student wellbeing can be broadly defined as a student’s overall development and quality of life that underpins every aspect of a student’s schooling, from their ability to learn in class, to their ability to build positive relationships. It is a fundamental component of the school experience, and is just as important as academic learning.

Student wellbeing can change day to day, month to month and year to year. And it is affected by changes happening inside, as well as the changes in the world around us.

Wellbeing doesn’t mean our students feel good all the time. But it does mean that they have the skills, the resources and the capacity to cope with stress and the ensuing emotions in adaptive ways.

To further this aim, KGS offers Wellness Counselling services to our students, with counsellors / School Psychologists available in all three sections of the Karachi Grammar School, in order to provide a safe space, where students can share or unburden and talk about things they may feel uncomfortable talking about with someone else, without fear of judgement, and in complete confidence. The Wellbeing Counsellors also act as experts who provide relevant and essential information to our students, not only through one on one counselling, but also through assessments, focus groups and group sessions or assemblies, through which many common issues can be addressed. The aim and the purpose and most certainly the hope is to create a more open, a more accepting, a kinder and a more nurturing environment in our school, where students can flourish.

Neha Gazdar

(Head of Wellness Counselling- Middle & College Section)
Contact: neha.gazdar@kgs.edu.pk
Neha Gazdar, Head of Wellness Counselling, is a Certified Practising Counsellor registered with PACFA (Australia) and an alumna of Monash University, Australia and RMIT University, Australia, dedicated to fostering emotional well-being and resilience within the school community.
 She is an experienced and compassionate School Counsellor with a track record of supporting students’ personal, social, and academic development. Skilled in evidence-based counselling techniques, collaboration, and cultural sensitivity. Committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment, tailoring counselling services to meet individual needs. Upholds confidentiality and ethical practice. Dedicated to empowering students, building resilience, and making a positive impact on their lives.
With extensive overseas experience and a passion for creating a safe and inclusive environment, she believes in the power of teamwork to drive positive change. She has successfully led initiatives such as R U OK? Day, Stress Management Olympics, and Meet and Greet sessions that promote mental health awareness and emotional intelligence. Known for innovative strategies like Peer Connect club and Empathetic Leadership, she empowers students and staff to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Through a collaborative approach, she is committed to nurturing a culture of compassion, safety, and holistic growth within the school.

Misha Agha

(Wellness Counsellor- College Section)
Contact: misha.hussain@kgs.edu.pk
My name is Misha Agha, and I am the Wellness Counsellor at KGS. I’ve done my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Warwick, UK, and my Masters in Psychology from California Southern University, USA.
I have also completed my diploma at CPPD, UK, which is the Center of Personal and Professional Studies, a counselling training school.
  I have over 5 years of clinical experience in schools and private practice and as a Psychologist with a training in Humanistic Integrative
Counselling I use an eclectic approach in my work and specialize in helping students dealing with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and other pathologies.

 

Amna Tariq

(Wellness Counsellor- Kindergarten & Junior Section)
Contact: amna.tariq@kgs.edu.pk
As a Wellness Counsellor at Karachi Grammar School, Mrs. Amna Tariq is committed to supporting the mental well-being of children and adolescents. A skilled Clinical Psychologist, she holds an MSc. in Child and Adolescent Mental Health from King’s College London and has been actively working in the field for several years.
Her research at the Michael Rutter Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience(IOPPN), King’s College London, explored the link between conduct disorders in children and parental discord. She has also worked closely with O- and A-Level students as a psychometrician in collaboration with the British Council, Pakistan.
Mrs. Tariq specializes in psychological assessments, offering a comprehensive evaluation of children’s strengths and challenges across social, academic, psychological, and emotional domains. Her expertise allows her to guide young individuals through mental health challenges, helping them build resilience, enhance well-being, and reach their full potential.

Arham Hashmi

(Wellness Counsellor – Middle Section)
Contact: counsellor.hashmi@kgs.edu.pk
Arham Hashmi, with undergraduate education in Clinical Psychology and Creative Writing from Skidmore College in New York, has worked in mental health and counselling for over three years now. From working directly with patients at Goodwill Industries’ residential facilities, conduction applied behavioural analysis (ABA) at Proud Moments, to developing and running wellbeing programs for students studying abroad at CEA CAPA London, Arham’s interest oscillate between the topics of grief, trauma, emotional regulation, goal setting, relationships, as well as of change and transition, especially with young individuals. Arham is also a certified Crisis Counsellor with intensive training is Peer Counselling too. While in college, they led the Peer Health Education program for three years.

At the Middle Section, alongside working with students one-on-one, Arham aims to add onto the everyday wellness activities, bring nuance to kind and supportive student connections, enhancing the student/staff experience on campus. Incorporating their other interests  of dancing, movement, storytelling and writing, Arham plans to work a lot with the creativity and intrigue that resides within each teenager, and facilitate their understanding of their thoughts, actions and behaviour. Arham firmly believes in the human-centric approach to counselling, and keeps student advocacy and safety in focus throughout their work.

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