Frequently asked questions

Not under usual circumstances as the service is confidential. However, in some cases, our advisers may have concerns about your safety, or the safety of others and we may need to involve someone else.  We always work within the law, but if a situation of concern arose, we would consult you if possible and explain why we feel the need to speak to someone else about your circumstances. 

We aim to offer you an initial appointment within a week and try to keep waiting times for ongoing appointments to a minimum.  If we do suggest ongoing appointments, then we will contact you frequently to check how you’re managing.  Please make sure that you check your Keele email account and respond to our offers of appointments as this helps to keep waiting list times to a minimum. 

We would be happy to offer you some general advice about a friend or relative. However, we wouldn't be able to be specific or tell you if a person is accessing our service.

In the first instance we offer students up to six sessions.  We are committed to working in an ethical manner and want to see your life improve as quickly as possible.  Sometimes, at our initial appointment, we might identify that your needs are best met by an external provider and we’ll either liaise with them on your behalf or provide you with their contact details. 

We accept that sometimes in life we can't relate to everyone and this can happen in the counselling and mental health relationship. If you can, it might be worth discussing this with your adviser who can then talk through your concerns and arrange for you to be seen by someone else.

Sometimes students bring someone with them to their first session, to sit with them in the waiting room.  We've found that having someone with you in the consulting room can make it more difficult for you to open up and you may not get as much out of the session as possible.