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Counselling

Male College Student Meeting With Campus Counselor
Counselling offers you a safe, confidential place where you can talk about any difficulties with someone who will listen to you and accept you as you are, without judging or blaming you.

The aim of counselling is to provide you with the opportunity to work towards living in a more satisfying and resourceful way.

ABOUT THE SERVICE

The Bedford College Group has a Counselling service which is available term-time only. The service is made up by a Counselling Co-ordinator and a team of trainee/volunteer Counsellors.  The service is situated within Student Services at Cauldwell Street, Shuttleworth, Tresham College and The Bedford Sixth Form. You can book an appointment at the Student Services Helpdesk, via your Personal Achievement Tutor or by self-referral by contacting:

Bedfordshire

PHONE: 01234 291911
EMAIL: counselling@bedford.ac.uk

Northamptonshire

Phone: 01536 513273

Email: counsellingtresham@bedford.ac.uk

HOW CAN COUNSELLING HELP?

Counselling aims to help you deal with and overcome issues that are causing emotional pain or making you feel uncomfortable.

It can provide a safe and regular space for you to talk and explore difficult feelings. The Counsellor is there to support you and respect your views. They won’t usually give advice, but will help you find your own insights into and understanding of your problems.

COUNSELLING CAN HELP FOR MANY DIFFERENT SITUATIONS, INCLUDING:
  • personal and emotional difficulties
  • feeling unable to cope
  • family and relationship problems
  • separation and divorce
  • loss and bereavement
  • major life changes
  • having no one to talk to
  • eating disorders
  • depression
  • anxiety
  • low self-esteem
  • stress
  • panic attacks
  • worries about drug or alcohol abuse
  • gambling
  • self-harm
  • bullying and harassment
  • anger problems
  • concerns about college
  • personal and emotional difficulties
HOW THE SESSION WORKS

Your first session will be an assessment session with the Counselling Co-Ordinator where more information is gained from you about yourself and what it is you’d like to talk about. From here you can decide whether you’d like to book further sessions and the Counselling Co-Ordinator will then place you on a waiting list and allocate a Counsellor.  We do initially offer 6 sessions however we understand that sometimes one or two sessions are all that is needed and at other times, weekly or fortnightly sessions, over a few weeks are more helpful. It is always your choice whether you want to continue in counselling and, you are free to discontinue at any time. Depending on need, we are able to extend to 12 sessions of counselling.

Sessions usually last for 50 minutes. The College Counsellors work within the professional BACP ethical framework which respects confidentiality. Information, including your attendance, is not normally passed on to anyone else without your permission. This will be discussed more in your first session.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Counsellors work within a professional framework that requires them to offer you the highest possible levels of confidentiality. This means they will respect your privacy and it enables you to trust us with stuff that you may never have told anyone about before.  They will not inform your parents/carers or tutors that you are using the service.

However, if your Counsellor is concerned that you or someone else is at risk of harm then they will have to act in line with our safeguarding and child protection policy and pass information on to a designated safeguarding member of staff to decide if any further action needs to be taken to ensure the safety of a young person or vulnerable adult.  Your Counsellor will always ask for your agreement before breaking confidentiality and will support you however if you do not agree, they will have to do so without your permission.

FURTHER INFORMATION

If you need further details about support groups and agencies, or leaflets on topics ranging from sexual health, mental health, eating disorders, drugs and alcohol, we have lots of free information to takeaway or view on this website. View a list of helplines.