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Counselling

What is counselling?

People sometimes experience emotional or personal problems that they find hard to cope with by themselves. These problems may be to do with changed circumstances (setting into university life), difficulties in relationships, unexplained changes in mood, such as feeling low, anxious or stressed. When this happens, you may feel it useful to see a professional counsellor. For students with deadlines to meet and the constraints of the examination system, such difficulties can at times feel overwhelming and have a serious impact on their ability to sustain academic performance. Counselling can help by exploring with you the problems you experience and your attempts to solve the problem. New ways of coping will also be explored. The approach to counselling at the Students' Union is based on systematic and cognitive behavioural therapies and is focused on problem solving.

What happens in counselling? Counselling involves talking, thinking and doing. The counsellor may prompt you by asking questions and making observations that will help you to look at things in different ways in order to help you to find alternative ways to deal with your problems. You will be actively involved in all aspects of the counselling. What is a counsellor? A counsellor is a trained professional experienced in dealing with a wide range of emotional and personal problems. Sheila Gill is a nationally accredited counsellor and trainer. She has co-authored a number of books on the theory and practice of counselling. She subscribes to the ethical code of "The British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists".

Length of counselling
Counselling may take less time than you think.
This will depend on the nature of your problem and will be discussed with you during the first session. Sometimes one session will be enough to restore your confidence in order to solve your problem. At other times several sessions may be needed up to a maximum of 6. A session lasts about 45/50 minutes. Students will be invited to arrange a review date to ensure progress is maintained.
Is the service confidential?

The service is absolutely confidential, which means your identity and anything you talk about with the counsellor will not be shared with anyone. All documentation will be kept locked away. To ensure that the counselling service is appropriate and effective, the counsellor meets regularly with a trained supervisor external to the institution. From time to time it is necessary for students to be referred to another agency either within or outside LSE. If this occurs, the counsellor will ask for the student's consent.

What if I feel embarrassed?

People sometimes feel embarrassed talking about intimate matters. The counsellors are trained to respect your feelings and discuss any topic you may raise without judging or criticising you.

Problem solving

Who seeks counselling?

Students, both undergraduates and postgraduates, from diverse national groups and academic disciplines seek counselling.

Problems and difficulties students in the past have sought help with include:

• Settling into LSE/London
• Loneliness and homesickness
• Depression
• Unexplained change in mood such as feeling miserable/tense/tearful
• Anxiety/panic
• Exam stress
• Harassment
• Issues about sex and sexuality
• Unplanned pregnancy
• Self harm
• Suicide (If you have suicidal thoughts/thoughts of self harm/currently self harm, it is advisable to make contact directly with your doctor.
• Acute concern on behalf of another student
• Disability
• Serious medical conditions
  Note:
  It is advisable for every student to be registered with a general practitioner. Students who live in the catchment area of St Philip's Medical Centre can register with a doctor there.

Contacts

Contact with other providers of student support within LSE will be suggested to the individual student by the counsellor if/when it is considered relevant and helpful. These services include:

• Student Services
  Tel 020 7955 7139

• St Philip's Medical Centre. For urgent medical appointments there are a limited number of appointments available daily between 11:00-11:30 and 15:00-15:30, there are limited number of half-hour appointments available between 4pm and 5pm each day. The counsellers have one appointment slot available daily at 16:00 for urgent difficulties.
  Tel 0207 955 7016 or at the Reception at St Philip's.

• Advisors in the Advice and Counselling Service at the Students' Union
  Tel 020 7955 7145

• Learning World: Study Skills Programme
  Tel 020 7955 6623

• Disability Office
  Tel 020 7955 6034

• Chaplaincy
  Tel 020 7955 7965

Self-help

For practical and very useful self-help leaflets for a range of common psychological/mental health issues, see:

1.http://www.nnt.nhs.uk/mh

2.http://www.student.counselling.co.uk/

There are many services of practical advice and information available nationally. Some are listed below:

1.For health advice and information over the phone:
NHS Direct 0845 4647

2.http://www.nusonline.co.uk
Information on mental health issues and student life in general

3.Confidential listening and practical information for students by students in London:
Nightline; 6pm-8pm

4.For those who feel suicidal:
The Samaritans provide 24-hour listening support. Contact them on:
08457 909090 or by email jo@samaritans.org.uk
The Samaritans have also recently begun a Japanese language service which can be reached on 020 7287 5493.

5.For free and confidential advice about sensible drinking:
Drinkwise 0800 917 8282

For relationship:

6.Relate
Offers you advice, relationship counselling, sex therapy, workshops, mediation, consultations and support face-to-face, by phone and through their website. For more information, please look at their website:
http://www.relate.or.uk

7.Women's Aid
Provides support, information and listening ear to women experiencing (or who have experienced) domestic abuse and to those seeking help as a woman's behalf. Helpline staff will discuss the available options and, if appropriate, refers callers as to refuges and offer sources of help information. To contact them, you can access the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Helpline on:
0808 2000 247

8.UKCOSA
An advisory service for international students on immigration and general matters. They have produced a self-help leaflet on "Culture Shock" for those students coming to the UK for the first time. This can be fount at:
http://www.ukcosa.org.uk
Please click on "Guidance Notes" on its homepage. They also have a helpline that you can call between Mon and Friday 1-4pm on:
020 7107 9922

9.For information, support and advice with the stresses caused by HIV and AIDS:
The Terence Higgins Trust 0845 1221 200 or info@tht.org.uk

10.The Muslim Youth Helpline:
help@myh.org.uk or 020 8808 2008

11.Saneline, for anyone who is affected in anyway by mental illness:
http://www.sane.org.uk/public_html/SANE_Services/SANELINE.shtm

12.PACE, is a counselling orgisation for gay men and lsbians:
http://www.pacehealth.org.uk/

13.Naz project, can provide help for Latin American, South Asian and Horn of African people regarding AIDS and HIV:
http://www.naz.org.uk/

Does the counselling service cost anything?

The counselling service is free to LSE students.

Location

Where is the counselling service located?

The Advice and Counselling Centre at the Students' Union (see below).

How do I make contact?

Either telephone or drop into the Advice and Counselling Centre. The counsellor is available on Fridays 10am-3pm.

Students' Union
Advice and Counselling Centre
E297
East Building
Houghton Street
London WC2A 2AE

020 7955 7145

It is helpful for the counsellor if you would complete the following questionnaire rating how you have felt over the past seven days and bring it with you to the first counselling session. The completed form can help to establish a relevant focus for the first counselling session and for future ongoing Work. To download this form click here

 

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