What is counselling?
Counselling provides a non-judgemental, confidential setting in which to think about things in your own way. The aim is to help you gain perspective and a better understanding of your situation, to enable you to develop a fuller, more rewarding life, and to learn more effective ways of dealing with potential problems in the future.
Counselling is a confidential service which is separate from teaching and assessment and student records.
Many students who have attended the service say it helped them in their personal life, enabled them to deal better with stress and helped them to study more effectively.
What to expect from your first counselling session
When is counselling needed?
Coming to university is a time of change. Life at university can be stressful. You don’t have to suffer alone in silence. Counselling can help.
Studying or working within the health professions can be both rewarding and difficult. At times, personal and emotional problems can get in the way of concentration and make it difficult to study effectively. A short period of counselling can be very helpful in finding different perspectives and ways of managing problems.
Clients of the service are encouraged to talk about any emotional or practical difficulties they are facing. Early consultation can prevent difficulties developing into unmanageable problems.
Seeking counselling is an important step but no problem should be considered too small to be brought to the counselling service.
Who can use the service?
We offer a time-limited counselling service available to all undergraduates and postgraduates studying at St George’s. The service is also available to university staff. It is free and confidential. None of the counsellors discriminate on the grounds of sexuality, race nor religion. They aim at all times to be impartial and non-judgemental.
What sort of problems?
Counselling can help you find different perspectives to help manage relationships with friends and family, worries about work and examinations, worries about yourself—in fact anything that causes you stress.
“I’m so grateful this service is available. It guided me through a difficult time and ultimately meant that I remained in higher education and completed my degree” — Student client
Where is the service?
Level 2, Hunter Wing. Turn left from lifts past Pret-a-Manger and continue to the end of the corridor where you will find counselling rooms on your left.
Appointments outside normal working hours are available most days.
How do I make an appointment?
If you are a student please register here If you are a staff member please register here
Please let us know if you have any issues with registering by emailing us at counselling@sgul.ac.uk. Please note you need to complete the online form in one attempt, so have GP details etc to hand. If you don't know the answer to any question, please write 'don't know' or 'prefer not to answer' in the relevant box.
Open Hour
Open Hours (one-to-one drop-in sessions) are available at 12 noon Monday to Friday. You do not need to book these. Please come to the counselling service on Hunter Level 2, a few minutes before noon. It would be helpful to register before you come. These sessions are for students who do not have an allocated counsellor.
Is it confidential?
The counselling service is confidential and separate from teaching and assessment. We do not share any information without your consent, including whether you are coming for counselling. The only exceptions to this are if we are seriously worried about safety (yours or someone else’s).
Who are the counsellors?
- Lorraine Brown
- Lauren Duncan
- Anthony Green
- Matt Hefford
- Julia Hutchinson
- Yeshoda Singhania
- Robert Sookhan
- Amanda Stewart-Harries
- Leticia Valles
Anti-racism Statement
At the University Counselling Service, we strive to be anti-racist. This means that, in addition to having cultural competence, our counsellors acknowledge the reality of racism and racist oppression in our society, and recognise the impact of racism on mental health. We are working to ensure that every student, including students of colour, feels welcome in our service. We will do our best to listen openly and non defensively, and to provide emotional and psychological support.