Counselling

 

What is counselling?

Sometimes you may feel sad or upset or not quite yourself and you might feel all alone. It can be good to talk to someone who will listen to you and take your worries seriously. A counsellor can help you by listening to how you feel - Find out more.

Real life stories

When you are feeling depressed or something big has happened to you it can feel like you are the only one. These real life stories show that the way you feel is important and that other people have been able to find help and feel more supported, with some help so can you - Read some real life stories.

How to find a counsellor

There are several different ways that you can find a counsellor (sometimes called a therapist). You can ask your GP (doctor) or your school nurse or someone else in your school/college who knows about mental health or well being like your psychology teacher or PSHE teacher. If you can find the courage to ask an adult who you get on with about counselling they will be able to help you find one. You might have to ask more than once.

Sometimes it can be difficult to find the best words to ask for help though. If you find it hard to say that you would like to talk to someone you could try saying this or writing a note

‘I am feeling sad/upset/angry/confused and I think I would like to talk to a counsellor, can you help me find one?’

You might want to find your own counsellor, click on this link to go to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

If you want to talk to someone today try one of these 24hr help lines

  • Talk Safe: www.talksafe.org.uk - Talksafe is a safe place to get the answers that matter to you - get advice from a mentor your own age, talk to a counsellor, or chat with other young people across London in the forum. Just click on your age-group to get started.
  • Get Connected: 0808 808 4994 – http://www.getconnected.org.uk/ A free, confidential telephone helpline which will connect young people free onto whatever help they need
  • Childline: 0800 11 11 http://www.childline.org.uk/ –  Sometimes you can sort out a problem on your own. But if you have a worry you can't cope with, don't bottle it up. It can really help if you talk to someone in your family, a carer, one of your friends or maybe a teacher, or you can contact ChildLine, a free and confidential service at any time.

               If you have ever wondered what it would be like to contact ChildLine please watch this           video  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tohVjHd1DwE

  • NSPCC Child Protection Helpline: 0808 800 5000 – http://www.nspcc.org.uk/ For children and those concerned about children
  • Samaritans: 08457 90 90 90 http://www.samaritans.org/ -   Samaritans is a confidential emotional support service for anyone in the UK and Ireland and is available 24 hours a day. If you don't want to call then you can email