In this article I discuss two different approaches to mental health in schools. What I have described as an adaptive model focuses on a 'wellbeing' policy involving training teachers to spot the 'early signs' of mental health problems and to take action themselves or make an appropriate referral. The alternative is the 'whole-school approach' which is potentially more progressive but is also not without problems. The kind of curricular change typically advocated in this area with its emphasis on social and emotional learning is critically examined. Some reforms are suggested which require teachers to provide guidance for individual students based on self narratives similar to the kind of 'best practice' advocated in careers guidance. What counts as a 'good story' about the self is discussed with reference to the kind of education required for personal autonomy and self-stability in a highly differentiated and rapidly changing society.