Mental Health Supports - COVID-19

20th March 2020

Dear Students,

As a Guidance Counsellor, I am usually there for you in person but now things are a little different. To help with problems such as stress management/ anxiety/CAO or UCAS queries and or any other problem you are finding difficult, you are free to email me during normal college hours. You may only email from your school email address. My email addresses is as follows: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I may only be able to help with some pointers and tips but that might do the trick. This will not offer the same therapeutic benefits that normal counselling or support in person would, but I will do my best to help where I can.

If you are experiencing any major symptoms of anxiety / low mood / dark or strong feelings or suicidal thoughts, it is advised that you should to tell a close friend or family member and make an appointment with your GP straight away.

Please do not worry about how college closures will affect things for you. There will be efforts made to get us through and to find the best solutions with all the matters that arise including completion of your assignment, coursework and exams etc. Things will be worked out over the course of time.

Some pointers: (Institute of Guidance Counsellors)

• Stay calm – these are challenging times, we will get through them.
• Maintain a sense of routine every day so shower/ dress / create a separate study space/take regular breaks/ stay connected with your class group or friends / get some fresh air and sunlight.
• Keep up with coursework, do something every day, follow your usual timetable.
• It is important that you do not spend excessive time on social media. Understandably you can connect with friends on social media but please limit your time and recognise when you are spending too much time and do something else away from your phone (turn on the app monitoring your phone usage time – take note of this

For careers related issues I will be sending out alerts and relevant information to you in due course. Please keep an eye on the college website and Moodle for these messages and communications. I have set up a Careers Section on Moodle and the auto enrolment key is set to ‘ofi’.

These are strange times but we are all in this together and we will come through it wiser and more appreciative of the simplest pleasures in life. Keep looking after yourselves and following the hygiene procedures to stay healthy and well. We have attached a list of services which may also be helpful and we look forward to getting back to normal duties when it’s safe to do so.

Yours sincerely,

Karen Cawley

Guidance Counsellor