Counselling and emotional support is available for all students in the Sixth Form. The Sixth Form Counsellors offer counselling appointments and can also signpost you to other kinds of support inside and outside of Sixth Form.  If you would like to know more please read on...

Mental Health and Mental Illness are both serious cercerns at the moment, especially during covid times. Please follow the link below for more information from the NHS with great support and links. We are also able to offer support as a HOY team. Please either come and see us or email us to arrange a time to chat.

Also councelling is offered in the school, all the information you need is below.

• Children's mental health - Every Mind Matters - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
• Every Mind Matters - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

What is counselling for?

If you feel unhappy or stressed, talking things over either as a "one- off" or over a number of sessions, can help you to make sense of how you feel and to find new ways of dealing with problems, without being judged or told what to do.

Examples of personal issues that students bring to counselling include bereavement, abuse, family problems, relationships/sexuality, eating problems, drug or alcohol issues, self-harm, and panic attacks. These are just a few examples, but you can talk about anything that is causing difficulty in your life.

 

 

Is it confidential?

Counselling is confidential, which means that nothing you say will be shared with anyone else without your permission. 

The only exception is if you (or someone else) is in danger, in which case the Counsellor will talk over with you who might need to be told and your consent would be sought wherever possible.

What happens at the first appointment?

The Counsellor will tell you a bit about counselling and will ask you a few questions to help you begin to talk about what is troubling you. You can also ask any questions you have about using the service.

By the end of this first session you will probably have an idea of how counselling may help you, and what you would like to get from it. You can then decide whether to arrange regular sessions or you can take some time to think this over.

How long does counselling go on for?

 If you and the counsellor decide to arrange further sessions after your initial appointment, you can continue to see your counsellor for as long as is needed.

Regular appointments will be during one of your free periods and will last for roughly 45 minutes.

If you need urgent help or feel at risk of serious harm then please see the Counsellor at lunchtime or consider talking to your Personal Tutor or Head of Year.

Where is the Counselling Service and how do I get an appointment?

The Counselling Service is based in the medical wing near South Building.

Students can contact the Counselling Service by emailing Karen directly or speak to your Head of Year.

You will usually be offered your first appointment within a week.  If there is a waiting list the counsellor will explain this and will tell you about other kinds of support that are available.