Many people worry that seeking counselling is a sign of weakness or inadequacy. It can be hard to ask for help, but asking for help is the first step in addressing and resolving what’s troubling you. Here are some of the questions that may be on your mind if you’re thinking about seeing a counsellor.
What is counselling?
Counselling offers a space to explore your feelings and discover what lies behind what‘s troubling you. It’s not about giving advice and a counsellor will not judge you in any way. Rather, a counsellor works with you to help make decisions, choices and changes that are right for you.
Who are the counsellors?
The counselling service is staffed by a team of professionally trained and widely experienced counsellors. We work to the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy Code of Ethics and Practice, details of which can be obtained from the service.
Can I see a counsellor one-to-one?
We offer counselling on an individual basis and in small groups. A counselling group allows you to explore personal and academic difficulties in a confidential setting with other students. It’s a good way to learn from other students and share your experiences.
How am I matched with a counsellor?
The counselling service will always try to allocate students to the counsellors that best meet their needs. Some of the factors we try to take into consideration are your availability, presenting issues, counsellor preferences (whenever possible) and your campus.
If you feel that the relationship between you and the counsellor is not quite working, please do contact us by email: [email protected]. Please note that we may offer you the opportunity to attend another session with the same counsellor to discuss any issues, misunderstandings or concerns. Although we would encourage you to attend this, we will still reassign you to another counsellor if you decline the invitation. If you do attend this session but decide that you would still like to see another counsellor, please let us know, and we will reallocate you as soon as we can.
Will I have to pay?
The service is free and available to all students.
Can we offer counselling support to alumni?
We can offer a one-off consultation to recent alumni (within fifteen months of graduation). This meeting will usually involve general wellbeing guidance and signposting to useful external organisations as needed. If you would like to arrange a one-off consultation, please contact us: [email protected]. If you are able to use your Westminster email address, please do so.
How can I see a counsellor?
The counselling service operates at our Cavendish and Harrow sites. You can request to see a counsellor by calling in person, over the telephone, or by email.
Is the counselling service confidential? Will my tutor know?
The service is confidential and your information will not be revealed to anyone without your permission. Sometimes, it might be helpful for your counsellor to liaise with a third party, for example with your tutor if your academic work is being affected. This will only happen after discussion with you and with your permission. If there appears to be a serious risk to your own or someone else’s safety, the counsellor reserves the right to break confidentiality. Your counsellor would normally speak to you first before contacting anyone else.
What if I need to see a counsellor in an emergency?
Although the counselling service operates on an appointment basis, there is a counsellor on duty daily to deal with any urgent requests. If you feel that you need to speak with someone urgently, contact the service and ask to speak to the duty counsellor.
What if I want to see a counsellor outside the University?
We can provide you with details of external counselling agencies that may be helpful:
You can also find a counsellor via your GP or by contacting the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Alternatively, you can contact external organisations who offer free/reduced fee therapy services:
Or seek urgent help:
If I see a counsellor, what information will be kept about me?
Your counsellor will keep brief notes. All records are kept securely locked within the counselling service, not in your University student file. It’s a legal requirement for counselling notes to be kept for six years. After that time, they are destroyed by shredding. Under the Data Protection Act, clients have the right to access all their notes. If you want to see your notes, you should ask your counsellor, giving two weeks notice.
Can I get a letter for mitigating circumstances from a counsellor?
We can only provide letters supporting mitigating circumstances applications to students who are known to us. This usually means that you must have been attending counselling over a period of time.
However, you can take a look at the hints in the document below to help make a mitigating circumstances claim.
Can the Counselling Service provide a diagnosis or medical support/evidence?
We would advise you to contact your doctor/GP if you require any medical assistance. If it is a medical emergency, please call 999 or visit the accident and emergency (A&E) department in your local hospital.
What should I do if I need support with a disability?
Please contact the Disability Learning Support Service for guidance from the University’s specialist team: [email protected] or 0203 506 8800.
Can a counsellor help if I am thinking of dropping out of University?
Sometimes leaving seems the right thing to do, but it’s important not to rush into a decision until you’ve thought it through. If you’re thinking about dropping out you might find it helpful to talk it over with a counsellor. It’s also helpful to see a student adviser to think through your finances and your future options.
What steps should I take if I am worried about a student?
If there is an emergency or the situation requires more immediate action, please call 999 for an ambulance or ensure the student can access the nearest A&E department.
Colleagues and external third parties, for eg, parents or doctors, should encourage students to register for counselling as needed. We only accept self-referrals, so please direct them to the registration information on our webpage under ‘Register for support’: Counselling service webpage.
We require consent to contact students, as it is important that they are open to support and are willing to engage. Please ensure that students are aware of any contact with our service that has been made on their behalf. If you are unsure about making a referral and would like to speak to us first, please get in touch with us on: [email protected]. If a third party has contacted our service by phone, we will always ask to speak to students directly wherever possible. If a concern is raised by email, please make sure that students are copied in, as this supports transparency.
We do have a duty clinician available on weekdays between 9.30am–4pm, so we are able to offer telephone welfare check-ins. If you are a colleague at the University and are concerned about a student’s welfare, please complete the Wellbeing link form: Wellbeing Link Form. The Wellbeing Service will contact you and/or the student as soon as possible to discuss next steps.