Counselling

Counselling is a place where you can talk in confidence about anything that is on your mind.  Your counsellor will listen carefully to how you are feeling and help you understand what you are experiencing.  They will not judge you.  They will not offer you advice or tell you what they think is best.

In counselling sessions, you have time and space to understand yourself.  You and your counsellor can talk things through and see if there are changes you want to make.

We also offer well-being coaching sessions, these target specific common mental health issues such as anxiety, stress and procrastination.

The counselling service is based in the Wellbeing Centre on the ground floor of the Bagnall building, by the stairs to student services. You can access the Wellbeing Centre directly from the car park or through the college at the end of the business corridor.

You self refer to the counselling service which means you do not need to tell your tutors, family or GP.  The quickest and easiest way to get an appointment is to come to one of our daily drop-in sessions.  The times are Monday to Friday at 9.00am and 12.30pm. Alternatively you can email us on counsellors@farnborough.ac.uk or scan the QR code, situated around the college and here on the home page, to arrange a time to come in if drop in has been difficult to access.

When you come along to drop in, you will be seen by one of our counsellors. The appointment lasts around 30 minutes and gives you the opportunity to talk to a counsellor in confidence about anything you are experiencing. 

You can then decide and discuss with your counsellor whether you would like to arrange some regular counselling sessions, you may feel you would be better suited to having a few coaching sessions or you may decide that a one off drop in session is enough for now.

You are welcome to come back to drop in any time.

You can talk to your counsellor about anything in your life.  You might feel your problems are too big or too small to share.  You might not be sure what is wrong or you might just want to understand yourself better.  Counselling is a place where you can bring any issue and your counsellor will never feel you are wasting their time.  Some of the things students come to see us about include… 

• Worries about settling into college 

• Loneliness/making friends 

• Family problems 

• Low self esteem/confidence 

• Academic concerns 

• Anxiety 

• Abuse

• Depression

• Bereavement 

• Stress 

• Gender & identity

• Relationships/sexuality 

• Alcohol/drugs 

• Problems with food or eating

• Self harm

• Domestic violence

• Suicide

Whatever your problem, you are very welcome to come and talk to us. 

Yes, once you have regular appointments arranged, you will see the same counsellor at the same time each week during term time.  Regular appointments will be during one of your free periods and last for 50 minutes.  If you meet with the Wellbeing coach an appointment is an hour in length which is followed up by a second appointment a couple of weeks later. If you use the drop-in service, then you may not always see the same counsellor each time. 

What you tell your counsellor is confidential.  That means that they will not tell anyone what you say.  We do not report back what you tell us to your tutors, parents, friends or anyone else without your permission.  However, if you or someone else is in danger of significant harm then we cannot promise absolute confidentiality.  You will discuss this with your counsellor at your first appointment. 

You and your counsellor will agree what will happen if either of you cannot attend a session.  If you miss an appointment without letting us know in advance, you will need to contact your counsellor or the counselling service within 48 hours to rearrange the session.  If we do not hear from you within that 48 hour period we will assume you no longer wish to see a counsellor and your time will be allocated to another student.  If you decide at a later date that you want to see a counsellor again you can come and see us at drop-in or email counsellors@farnborough.ac.uk. 

It’s hard to tell exactly how many appointments you may need.  It may be you just want a one off session to talk through what is concerning you or you may require regular weekly appointments for a longer time.  This can be discussed when you first see a counsellor.  You can decide when you want to finish your counselling. 

The College has a Health and Wellbeing Co-ordinator/College Nurse, Kirsten Halvorsen, who can help with any medical, emotional or welfare needs.  Kirsten is also responsible for administering the Bursary Fund and can give advice and guidance about finances, benefits and housing issues.  Kirsten works closely with the counselling team and is based in the Health and Wellbeing Suite in Student Services, next to the counselling rooms. 

The College also has a Nurse, Catherine Hichens, who can help with any health issues.   She is based in the Medical Room in Student Services. 

Student Progress Advisers - you can always talk to your student progress adviser about any difficulties you may be having. 

ELSA and study support - there is tailored support at the college to help you with any problems/concerns around studying as well as focusing on exam stress, anxiety, procrastination.

GP - you can also arrange an appointment at your local surgery to see your own doctor regarding medical or emotional issues.