Counselling at Central Film School

What is a counsellor?

A counsellor is a trained professional who helps you explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, so that you can develop a clearer understanding of yourself and the people around you.

A counsellor will not tell you what to do or prescribe medication. Instead, they will support you in finding your own solutions – whether that involves making changes in your life or discovering new ways to cope with the challenges you are facing.

How can counselling help?

Counselling provides a safe, confidential space to talk with a trained professional about your concerns.

Being able to speak openly with a counsellor in a calm, neutral and confidential setting can help you see your situation more clearly and from different perspectives. This can shift how you view things and support positive change.

Counsellors listen without judgement. They use their training and experience to help you make sense of what is happening in your life. Together, you can identify coping strategies you have used before and reflect on whether they are still useful. You can also explore new strategies that may help you cope more effectively and move forward.

Counselling can help with the following:

• Anxiety, Stress
• Depression, low mood, sadness
• Feeling overwhelmed, inability to cope, panic
• Bereavement and loss
• Loneliness
• Relationship issues
• Family issues
• Sleep issues
• Eating disorders
• Gender issues
• Past problems and concerns affecting you now
• Adjusting to college life and work
• Homesickness

Your first session:

To get started, please complete the Counselling Request Form. Once you have submitted the form, a counsellor will contact you to arrange an appointment. Sessions are available in person, online via Google Meet, or by phone.

In your first session, your counsellor will:

• Ask about your background, medical and mental health history, and your current situation  

• Explain how confidentiality works

• Check whether you are at any risk of harm

They will ask how you have been feeling over the past week and listen to your reasons for seeking counselling. You can also ask any questions you may have about counselling and what to expect.

If you decide you would like further sessions, you will discuss:

• How many sessions you might have and how often

• What you would like to focus on or achieve

• Which approaches or methods the counsellor may use

• What happens if you miss a session

• How you can contact each other between sessions  

At each session:

At the start of each session, your counsellor will ask how you have been since your last appointment and whether there is anything specific you would like from the current session.

This is your time, to use in whatever way feels most helpful for you. Counselling may involve expressing strong emotions or exploring thoughts that feel challenging in the moment. Sometimes you may want to talk a lot; at other times you may prefer to sit quietly and say little or nothing. It is common to feel uncomfortable or unsure about what you are feeling at times.

As you get to know your counsellor and build trust in the process, these feelings may lessen. Although counselling can sometimes feel difficult, it can also be rewarding, empowering and supportive of your personal growth.

If you have agreed on a certain number of sessions, your counsellor will remind you how many remain. This gives you time to review your work together and either plan an ending or arrange additional sessions, if appropriate.

At the end of each session, your counsellor will usually ask:

• How you felt the session went  

• How well their approach met your expectations

• Whether there is anything that could be improved

Your feedback is valued, as it helps ensure that the sessions continue to meet your needs and can be adjusted where necessary.

When other help is needed:

Sometimes counselling at Central Film School may not be the most suitable option for you. If this happens, we will do our best to guide you towards a more appropriate service. This may include:

• The Student Services Team

• Your Personal Tutor or Course Leader

• Specialist medical or mental health services within the NHS, or local support networks if you are outside the UK

• Your GP or personal mental health professional

Confidentiality:

Confidentiality is essential in building a trusting relationship between you and your counsellor. A counsellor will not share what you say in your sessions except in the following circumstances:

• If they believe that you, or someone else, may be in danger

• If they are required to do so by law

• If they are referring you to another healthcare professional for additional support

• When discussing their work with their clinical supervisor*

Where possible, these disclosures will be made with your knowledge and consent, but in an  emergency this may not always be possible.

*Counsellors receive professional support and guidance from clinical supervisors, who are counsellors with additional specialist training. These supervision sessions are also confidential. When counsellors discuss their client work in supervision, all identifying details are removed so that clients remain anonymous and their privacy is protected.