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Wellbeing

Counselling

A counselling and psychotherapy student talks to a tutor
Counselling Support

What is Counselling?

During your initial appointment with the Wellbeing team, we might suggest a referral to the Edge Hill University Counselling Service if we think it could help you. Our Counselling team is made up of trained professionals who offer free, confidential support to all Edge Hill students – whether you’re full-time or part-time. Sessions take place on the Ormskirk campus and are completely free of charge. 

Counselling gives you a chance to talk one-to-one with a qualified counsellor about anything that’s on your mind. It can help you:

  • Understand what’s happening in your life 
  • Think about changes you want to make 
  • Find new ways to cope 
  • Or simply have a safe space to talk 

If you’d like more information about how counselling could help, or what to expect, email us at [email protected]. 

Need to cancel or rearrange your appointment? Please email [email protected]. 

What you can expect

In counselling, you can expect:

  • Confidentiality 
  • A non-judgemental, respectful attitude 
  • A counsellor who listens with sensitivity and honesty 
  • A trusting and supportive relationship, where you work together to explore your thoughts and feelings 

In return, we ask you to:

  • Commit to the counselling process by attending sessions 
  • Give us as much notice as possible if you need to cancel 
  • Engage in sessions with honesty, effort and personal responsibility 
  • Respect the counselling space, your counsellor, and University property 

Counselling offers a safe framework for change — but it’s your energy and effort that will make that change possible.

The Counselling Service is an organisational member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and follows their Code of Ethics and Practice. You can find more information on the BACP website.

How to access support

To access counselling, you’ll first need to book an initial appointment with the Wellbeing team. 

We offer both in-person and online appointments. If we think counselling is right for you, we’ll refer you to the Counselling team. 

Important info about appointments

  • Phone calls will come from a withheld number 
  • Video appointments use Microsoft Teams 
    (available from the App Store or Google Play, or through Office 365 on your computer) 
  • Sign in with your Edge Hill email 
  • Please be logged in and ready a few minutes before your appointment starts 
  • Make sure you’re in a quiet, private place with a stable internet connection 
  • If there’s a connection problem, we’ll try to call you instead 
  • Sessions must not be recorded 

Confidentiality

Edge Hill’s Counselling and Wellbeing Service follows the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) ethical guidelines. Everything you share is confidential. 

In most cases: 

  • No one outside the Counselling team will know you’re attending 
  • Nothing is added to your academic or medical records 

If you’d like someone else to know about your sessions (e.g. a tutor or referrer), please let your counsellor know. 

We only share information with others in rare situations:

  • If there’s a serious risk of harm to you or someone else 
  • If you go missing and we’re concerned for your safety 
  • If the law requires us to share information (e.g. under the Terrorism Act or Drug Trafficking Offences Act) 

Where possible, we will try to talk to you first before sharing anything.

Notes and record keeping

We keep the minimum amount of information needed, such as: 

  • Your name, contact details and date of birth 
  • Relevant background information 
  • Your signed counselling agreement 
  • Brief, confidential notes about each session 
  • Anonymous data for service improvement and statistics 

You can ask to see the information we hold about you by sending a written request.

If you have any questions or concerns about confidentiality or how we keep records, feel free to discuss this with your counsellor. 

What happens if I have been referred to Edge Well 24/7 for counselling?

Working with Edge Well 24/7

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Team is now working in partnership with Edge Well 24/7 to help expand our counselling support. This partnership aims to reduce waiting times and make sure students can be seen as quickly as possible, based on the resources available. 

What does this mean for students?

If you’re referred for counselling, you will still receive support — but your sessions may not be with the Edge Hill University Counselling Service directly. Instead, you might be offered counselling through Edge Well 24/7, depending on availability.