My name is Jane, and I’m a qualified and experienced young people’s counsellor, working for Relate.
If you are feeling anxious, depressed, unhappy or worried, it can help to talk through your concerns with an independent adult who will listen without being judgemental. I will aim to help you make sense of things and perhaps see things from a different perspective. Feeling heard and understood can help people to develop their resilience and to feel able to cope in spite of the difficulties life may throw at them.
It’s often useful to look at depression and anxiety as understandable reactions to life events. They don’t have to be seen as ‘illnesses’, which you either have or don’t have – they occur on a sliding scale from mild to severe, but even mild forms can be very distressing. Understanding the experiences or thought patterns which make the feelings worse can give people more control over how they feel. Talking things over really can help, and you don’t have to wait until you are feeling desperate – if a problem is bothering you, and friends or family haven’t been able to help, it may be worth considering counselling. It often takes courage to face up to problems, but it may be easier to do with the help of an independent and sympathetic professional.
Counselling sessions are 50 minutes long, once a week, and people usually come for 6 – 8 sessions, but you can decide at any point that you don’t want to continue – it’s your choice.
If you would like an appointment, speak to your Pastoral Lead
Mrs Smith or Mrs Evans for KS3
Mrs Caulfield-Smith or Mrs Wildman for KS4 & 5
Alternatively, you can put a request slip in the blue box on the desk at Reception. There may be a waiting list, but I will try to respond to you as soon as I can.