Ask the Counsellor
Here are some of the commonly asked questions answered by one of our experienced counsellors.
Need help? If we can’t answer your question below,
call us on 01773 814 403.
Yes, you will have an initial telephone assessment, and then be allocated to one.
Yes, we arrange sessions to suit your availability. We offer sessions before the school day starts, in the evenings and at weekends.
Yes, counselling can be for a personal or work related difficulty.
No, your referral for counselling sessions is confidential, this means your school will not
know you have contacted the service or have any information about your counselling.
There are circumstances where we might need to pass information on, for example, if something discussed has presented a safeguarding concern for you or another person.
This is very rare and your Counsellor would discuss this with you if possible before taking any action.
Short term counselling generally supports people with difficulties that are happening in
the here and now. Some more complicated or long running difficulties may not be
suitable for the short term counselling. If this is you, please do not be disheartened, we
encourage you to contact the service as the assessment session is an opportunity to talk
to a counsellor about your difficulties and how you can get help.
If after an assessment, the Counsellor believes that short term counselling is not the best way to help you, they would discuss your needs with you and provide signposting information to other services that will be able to support you.
Yes, the Counsellor will call you for the sessions at the agreed appointment time. You just need to be available and able to speak freely on the phone.
All of our Counsellors are registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work to the BACP’s Ethical Framework. Our Counsellors are qualified to a minimum of level 5 although many of our Counsellors hold degrees and master's degrees. Our Counsellors work integratively, which means they will work with a
variety of counselling approaches depending on the needs of the client.
Your Counsellor will record brief notes about your sessions on our secure software system. We strictly adhere to GDPR and once your sessions are completed, your notes will be kept securely for three years, after which time they will be archived.
