What Do Counsellors Offer?

Most universities and many colleges have a counselling service

Counsellors are professionally trained to work with people on their personal and emotional issues, including depression and suicide. Counselling is about talking to someone who understands what depression is and what can help. Because everyone is different, a counsellor does not simply dish out advice - the discussions in counselling are aimed at helping you understand what is going on for you and what would help you best.

What to expect from counselling

In the first session you will usually:

• have an opportunity to ask questions about what is offered,
• be expected to outline what has brought you to counselling and what you hope to gain,
• agree a series of meetings, usually weekly, to discuss and work through the depression.

What you say will be kept confidential to the counselling service and will not be discussed with anyone else in your university/college (except under certain circumstances which will be explained in advance).

A counsellor will aim to help you get an overview of the problem, as well as looking for ways forward. You can see the kind of framework a counsellor might use to explore your depression story using Anna's story as a case example.

Different kinds of counselling

Counsellors do not all work in exactly the same way, and not everyone "clicks" with the first counsellor they see. Counsellors welcome questions about how they work, and are open to discussing whether they are the right person to help. It is important that you feel comfortable with the counsellor you see, so don't settle for the first one if you're not entirely happy with them.

Counselling vocabulary

Psychodynamic - counselling which focuses on patterns of relationship, often helpful in understanding how early experiences might be affecting you in the present.

Person-centred - counselling which respects individual uniqueness and steers clear of any form of advice, preferring to support you in finding your own meanings and solutions.

Cognitive-behavioural (CBT) - counselling which is solution and action-focused, especially helpful in tackling unhelpful thinking habits.

Integrative - many counsellors integrate aspects of each of these approaches, rather than working in only one way.

What else do counsellors offer?

• Liaison with doctors

  Counsellors often work closely with university health centres and may be able to help you find a doctor who has an interest in working with depression. Some counsellors work in GP surgeries and offer counselling on referral from the doctor.

• Referrals

  Some counselling services offer referrals for alternative therapies, like massage or exercise classes.

• E-mail counselling

  Some university or college counselling services offer counselling via email as well as face-to-face sessions.

• Groups

  Some counselling services offer therapy or support groups, sometimes focusing specifically on depression.

• Further info

  Most services have websites and leaflets describing what they offer and offering advice about common problems, including depression.

Find your own university or college counselling service

The Student Counselling in UK Universities website lists contact details for all university counselling services (see link below). For higher education institutes or further education colleges, look on your own college website or phone the main college exchange and ask for the counselling service.

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