Who we are
We offer appointment-based support to help you manage your mental health and wellbeing during your time at university.
Our professionally trained counsellors/mental health practitioners help people from many different backgrounds and cultures. The counsellors work according to the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) Code of Ethics and Practice.
Our staff are happy to talk to you about anything that’s bothering you, from an inability to study, poor concentration and depression, to relationship problems and bereavement.
We understand it may be difficult to ask for help, but we encourage you to get in touch. All sessions are confidential – see our code of practice on confidentiality and data protection on our Counselling and mental health - privacy statement page.
How we can help
Register for support
The Counselling and Mental Health Service uses a system called Engage2Serve (E2S) to manage student referrals and appointments.
How to register
If you would like counselling or coordinated mental health support, you can register with the service by logging in to the E2S portal. Please use your regular University login details (e.g. [email protected] and your password).
You will find the registration form on the E2S homepage under 'Forms'. Please let us know if you have any difficulties finding or completing the form.
Some fields on the form will be auto-populated from your University student record (e.g., name, student ID number), but you'll need to complete the rest of the information.
What happens after you register?
- Register online - sign up for counselling support through the E2S Portal.
- Book your consultation - once you’re registered, we’ll contact you to arrange a consultation (up to 40 minutes). You can either: book a time yourself using a link we send, or accept the next available appointment we offer. If you’re offered an in-person appointment but would prefer to meet online, just let us know.
- Complete a short questionnaire - before your appointment, you’ll be asked to complete an Emotional Health and Daily Life (EHDL) questionnaire. This should be done at least 48 hours in advance.
- Meet with a counsellor - you’ll have a confidential conversation with a counsellor to talk about what’s going on for you.
- Decide on the right support together - you and your counsellor will agree on the type of support that best meets your needs.
- Start your support - this might include counselling sessions, workshops, or other types of help.
- Review your progress - you’ll regularly check in on how things are going and plan any next steps together.
Please log in to your portal regularly to view updates. Also check your junk or spam folders in case email notifications are sent there.
Staying connected and engaged
We will primarily communicate with you via email. Please ensure you:
- Check your inbox regularly for updates from our service and E2S
- Review your junk/spam folder in case our emails are filtered
The E2S portal can be used to:
- Communicate with the service
- Keep track of your appointments
- Ask questions
- Access important information
Once we’ve received your completed registration form, you may also receive updates via E2S. We recommend logging in occasionally to stay up to date.
Further assistance
If you need help with E2S or have any questions, email us at [email protected].
FAQs – Emotional Health and Daily Living (EHDL) Questionnaire
They help you and your counsellor reflect on your progress and guide the conversation in your sessions. They are not tests or diagnoses.
The Emotional Health and Daily Living (EHDL) Questionnaire is made up of the GAD-7 (anxiety), PHQ-9 (low mood), and CORE-10 (general wellbeing). Each takes about 2–3 minutes.
Before your first Consultation appointment and again before your final session (usually after session 5).
Don’t worry, we’ll go through them together in the first half of your session.
Yes. Your responses are only used to support your care and are stored securely in line with university policy.
It is our legal and ethical responsibility to ensure that all students are as safe as possible. Sometimes students may be vulnerable to harm from others or unable to keep themselves safe. If, at any time, we are seriously worried about your wellbeing, we may contact your doctor (GP), Named Emergency Contact or another person who is involved in your support.
We will try to seek your consent first, but action may be taken without your consent if it is deemed necessary for your safety or the safety of others.
Please read our privacy, confidentiality and data management policies:
No. They are simply a tool to help us understand your needs and progress.
Your counsellor will review the scores with you and use them to guide a reflective ending and discuss next steps.
These FAQs relate to the Emotional Health and Daily Living (EHDL) Questionnaire. If you are looking for information about counselling or are considering seeing a counsellor, please visit our Counselling FAQs page.
Types of support
When you’ve registered with us, a counsellor will assess your situation and talk you through the support on offer. Types of support include:
- One-to-one appointments with counsellors/mental health practitioners online or face-to-face at our Cavendish and Harrow campuses
- Group sessions to explore personal and academic difficulties in a confidential setting with other students
- Workshops on a range of wellbeing topics
Enhanced counselling support - partnership with Brent Centre for Young People
The University of Westminster Counselling and Mental Health Service is pleased to offer expanded therapeutic support through our partnership with Brent Centre for Young People, a specialist organisation dedicated to providing mental health services for young people in the community.
What this means for you:
- We have specialist counsellors from Brent Centre for Young People now embedded within our service offering support for the Harrow Campus.
- They work as part of our team and follow the same professional standards and confidentiality protocols.
Data collection and service improvement:
As part of this partnership, Brent Centre for Young People will collect information, which is stored confidentially and always used anonymously to:
- Evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the therapeutic support provided
- Improve service delivery for current and future students
- Meet funding and reporting requirements
All data collection follows GDPR regulations and University of Westminster data protection policies. All data collected is strictly confidential and used anonymously, meaning your personal information is protected and cannot identify you in any reports, presentations or publications.
If you have any questions about this partnership or data collection, please email [email protected].
If you are in an emergency or crisis situation
If your safety is at immediate risk, please call 999 or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency department.
You can also Get help from 111 online or call 111 and select the mental health option.
Need support today?
If you are not in crisis you can speak to a mental health professional 24/7 via our service partner Spectrum.Life Helpline:
- UK: +44 800 031 8227
- International: +353 1 518 0277
For sources of support outside office hours, download our crisis and urgent support leaflet below:
Workshops and events
The service runs workshops and events throughout the year.
To find out about these activities, keep an eye on the student events listing on the Student Hub homepage or get in touch with us at [email protected].
Our locations
If you have booked a face-to-face counselling appointment, you can find us at the following locations:
Related pages
Contact us
You can call or email us using the details below: