We provide bespoke counselling services and mental health support for students through their college or university.
What do we do?
Working with the University’s Student Wellbeing Services we offer a short and comprehensive telephone assessment to identify issues, needs and goals for therapy. We then provide 6 week treatment plans from a wide range of counsellors trained in a number of modalities and approaches, such as CBT, psychodynamic, transpersonal and person centred.
Weekly counselling will take place in an easily accessible, central Zone 1 location, in a supportive and confidential environment. If counselling sessions identify the need, we will provide clinical interventions on specific goals outlined at assessment. All counselling will also aim to support the students’ academic performance and experience.
London South Bank University (LSBU)
We work with LSBU’s Student Wellbeing Services and provide:
- Assessment and short term therapy and treatment for students who are struggling with the stresses and strains of student life in the city.
- Advice, support and onward referral to more specialist support for those students who need it.
- Access to Mind in Brent, Wandsworth and Westminster’s other wellbeing services and development opportunities.
How to Access LSBU’s Service
Referrals are only accepted through a Wellbeing Advisor in the LSBU Wellbeing Team.
If you are a Student at LSBU please contact the Student Life Centre.
Tel: 020 7815 6454
Email: [email protected]
Loneliness during the coronavirus situation: Useful coping strategies
Loneliness, considered one of the last taboos amongst young people, is more frequently felt in 16-24 years olds, commonly students, than any other age group in the UK.
Often loneliness is associated with the elderly, but the Office of National Statistics (ONS) recently reported that those within the 16-24 year age gap reported feeling lonely ‘often/always’ and women were affected more than men. We’re on a mission to dispel this stigma of loneliness and bring the UK together.
Last year, 32% of students admitted to feeling lonely and considered dropping out of university as a consequence. In the midst of the coronavirus situation, the pressure is on for students, particularly international students who may not have been able to go home. Heightened emotions, undue stress of additional expenditure and enforced cheer imposing on the student lifestyle is leaving a high number of students feeling the effects of loneliness.
The first thing to remember is that these feelings of loneliness will pass, and your university life will return to normal. But in the depths of loneliness, these thoughts are hard to hold onto and this is the time to take action to prevent these feelings turning into despair, or a constant feeling of loneliness.
Remember that normal routines will resume and that you are not alone. Feelings of loneliness at this time are completely normal but if you do find yourself in despair, there is always someone to turn to. A number of London universities now offer the Nightline service: a confidential, anonymous, non-judgmental, non-directional and non-advisory phone and email service for all students who need to talk, and is run by student volunteers.
LSBU offers several different ways for students to access support. If you are a student at a different institution, look on their website to see how to access support.
Support networks
Anyone in the UK, whether they are a student or not, can call NHS on 111, this service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call NHS 111 if you or someone you know requires urgent care, but it is not life-threatening. For example:
- if you have an existing mental health problem and your symptoms get worse
- if you experience a mental health problem for the first time
- if someone has self-harmed but it does not appear to be life-threatening, or is talking about wanting to self-harm
- if a person shows signs of onset dementia
- if a person is experiencing domestic violence or physical, sexual or emotional abuse
You can also contact Samaritans who offer round the clock support, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on 116 123 or [email protected]. This number is FREE to call and you don’t have to be in complete despair to call them.