We have a fantastic team of qualified counsellors working at the school, who provide a confidential space for students to work through problems they may be having.  All counsellors are members of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists and they participate in regular supervision and professional development.  The counsellors work with all kinds of mental health issues, anxieties and emotional difficulties that the students may have. Each therapist brings their own expertise, ranging from CBT to Art Psychotherapy.  

The team works closely with the Pastoral and Safeguarding Team, but the main way that students can book a counselling appointment is through the self-referral system, which involves them filling out a straight-forward form, which can be found in their Head of Year’s room.  This usually means they are ready for counselling as they have referred themselves rather than being sent by someone else.  The waiting time is between one - four weeks, depending on the severity of the problem. The first appointment involves a counsellor assessing the student to see what the problems are and helping them to decide if counselling is right for them.  Sometimes students only need one session and other times we may see them for longer term work.  

We believe that giving our students access to a professional counselling service is key to their wellbeing in school.  We all have mental health, just as we have physical health, that needs taking care of.

Julie Searcy - Lead Counsellor and Team Manager