When you think about mental health support at King’s, King’s Counselling & Mental Health Support Service (CMHSS) is probably the first service that comes to mind. However, many students have misconceptions about what counselling involves and who it is for.
In this article, we’ll address some of the most common concerns and misunderstandings about counselling, and do a little myth-busting along the way.
Myth #1 'The wait times are long'
Once you’ve registered for King’s Counselling, you'll receive a response from the team within 48 hours. While the average wait times for first appointments with our counselling service are longer during our busiest times (January - May), we do our best to offer an appointment as soon as we can. We will always prioritise students who present with high risk and fast track appointments within 2 working days.
The team has also recently introduced King’s Counselling Online (KCO), which, if after registering is deemed appropriate, means you can see someone even sooner, with the added flexibility of seeing them out-of-hours.
Myth #2 'King’s Counselling service only offers counselling'
Many people find that counselling just doesn't work for them. That's why CMHSS offers many different types of support depending on your needs, including:
- Psychodynamic Counselling - explores thoughts and past experiences to understand and address emotional and psychological issues.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) - goal-oriented therapy that focuses on changing negative thought patterns and behaviours to promote healthier mental wellbeing.
- Mental Health Advice - guidance provided by professionals to help manage and improve mental wellbeing.
- Psychiatric Support - assistance and treatment provided by psychiatrists, often involving medication and therapy.
- Psychoeducational Workshops - sessions designed to educate students about mental health, coping strategies, and skills to enhance their mental wellbeing.
- Individual Support - personalised one-on-one online or in person counselling support.
We also offer alternative support services for students:
Looking for something else? Find out all the kinds of support we can offer you.
Myth #3 'They won’t understand me'
You might worry that counsellors won't understand your lived experiences, but our team are a diverse and representative group who can offer appropriate and relevant counselling according to your needs. We're here to provide an inclusive, equitable and accessible service. If preferred, you have the option to select a therapist preference based on gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and spoken language criteria.
The team has also introduced a Health Advisor for Mandarin Speaking Students (HAMSS), for advice about where and how to access health-related support.
Additional and focused support
If you’d like to make any additional needs known to CMHSS, you can email the team after registering, and they will do their best to allocate appropriate support.
Find out more about additional and focused support.
Myth #4 'My problems aren’t that serious'
You may think you have to be in crisis to access counselling services. However, addressing problems early can make a big difference in preventing things from getting tougher later.
The team can provide support for a range of difficulties you may be experiencing, typically spanning 4-6 sessions.
Students whose difficulties are considered low-to-moderate may be referred to King’s Counselling Online, which provides free and confidential, brief, solution-focused support, aimed at helping you quickly access counselling support and experience improved wellbeing. There are tailored groups for overcoming stress, PhD Support, and bereavement.
Here are some common issues brought to our team.
Myth #5 'They’re going to tell my course'
You may be concerned about what happens when you share information with a student support service. Here at King’s, we have a duty of care to students which means that information may be shared if there are concerns about your safety or the safety of others. In most cases, academic staff will not be informed that a student has accessed their services. Depending on your situation, information may be shared with another service, such as the emergency services, community mental health services or specialist support services within local authorities.
How we handle confidentiality.