What is Counselling?

Basically, counselling is a way of talking through anything that may be bothering/worrying you. Counsellors will listen to what you have to say and, through their training and experience, will help you to try and work out what you want/need for yourself.

Why talk to a counsellor?

  1. Although family and friends can be helpful, sometimes you may want to keep what you want to say private. Also, family and friends can worry for you or want to give you advice you may not want to take. Or maybe they are part of the problem.
  2. Counsellors are trained to hear what you have to say. Counsellors will not give you advice, but will try to help you decide things for yourself.
  3. Counselling is confidential.

What about confidentiality?

What is discussed during sessions is kept confidential between you and your counsellor. However, there may be instances, for legal, ethical or safety reasons, where it may not be possible to keep confidentiality. This will be discussed with you where possible. It is very rare for confidentiality to be broken, and the only reasons where it may occur is when there seems to be real/serious danger to either you or others.

What can I talk about?

Anything you like. Counsellors are used to hearing many different things, so will not think you are 'stupid' and will not be shocked by what you may say.

How long are sessions?

A session lasts about 50 minutes; it can be shorter but will not usually last more than 60 minutes.

How often are sessions?

Usually once a week.

How long will sessions go on for?

Up to six weeks.

To begin with, we usually offer 6 weeks, but this can be more or less depending on you. Some people only need one session, others may need longer than 6 weeks.

Who are the Counsellors and are they Qualified?

Our permanent counsellor is Penelope Dinning who is fully qualified and registered with the U.K. Council for Psychotherapy. On occasion we may also use additional counsellors who will also be qualified.

How can someone help me when they don't know what I'm going through?

No one can know exactly how another person is feeling. However, all qualified counsellors have been in counselling themselves, so will have an understanding of how it feels to be sitting where you are. Counsellors have often come to counselling through having difficulties of their own, so even though they may not have been through what you have, they will know what it is like to have problems.

If I see a counsellor, does it mean there's something wrong with me?

No. We all have problems from time to time, and it can be helpful to talk them through with someone outside the situation. Some people think that seeing a counsellor is the first step to the psychiatric hospital. Wrong. Counsellors are not psychiatrists, though they have had some training in recognising signs of illness. If they thought you might be depressed, for instance, they might recommend you see your doctor, but they would still support you in talking through what is depressing you.

How do I go about seeing a Counsellor?
  1. Your tutor can make an appointment for you
  2. You can go to Admissions (by Reception) and make an appointment for yourself
  3. You can ring the Counsellors directly: Penny Dinning is on: 01932 797624
  4. If you would like to make an appointment or if you have any other queries, you can e-mail the counsellors on: counselling@brooklands.ac.uk

Documents

Links

Counselling

Self-Help

This is a list of some self-help resources (books and DVDs) on a variety of difficult issues that you can find in the Learning Resource Centre at college.

There are many more, and a large bookshop will usually have a range in a self-help or popular psychology section. How helpful you find them may depend on what suits you.

It may sometimes be difficult to make changes on your own and you may find it useful to ask a trusted friend to help you follow the advice or suggestions offered. The college counsellor is also happy to work with you on any issues or difficulties, whether you choose to use any of the self-help books, or not.

Self Help Resources Available at the LRC