Your Mental Health

Trinity Laban and TLSU are here if you need help.

TL has a Counselling Service which gives you a chance to explore and understand the issues you raise in a safe and non-judgemental environment.

They are a team of highly experienced professional counsellors, available at both the Music and Dance Faculties between 9.30h and 20.30h Monday to Friday.

After an informal assessment session, you will be offered 8 weekly sessions with one of our counsellors. Counselling sessions last 45 minutes and take place at the same time and place each week.

If you feel that counselling might be helpful for you, please contact Sarah Hall, the Senior Counsellor to arrange an assessment session.

You can contact Sarah on 020 8305 3884 or at s.hall@trinitylaban.ac.uk

Helpful hints:

– Write down what you’ve been experiencing, it may help during your first session to have these notes in front of you.
– It will be one-to-one.
– It will last around 45 mins.
– There may be a wait for counselling, but there are lots of great self help resources out there that may be helpful during this time.

What can I do right now even if I don’t have a lot of time?​

University can be a busy time, which can make it harder for you to take the time to look after your mental wellbeing. When you’re busy, stresses can mount up and really take their toll – so it’s important to take the time to prioritise your own mental wellbeing. ​If you have:

5 minutes

– Make a cup of tea and enjoy it undistracted
– Cuddle a pet or soft toy
– Write a to-do list
– Text a friend

10 minutes

– Do a guided meditation
– Take a walk
– Do a quick tidy and clean of your room/workspace
– Listen to your favourite songs

30 minutes

– Take exercise – yoga, a run, a brisk walk
– Call a friend or family member for a catch-up
– Have a nap

1 hour

– Watch an episode of your favourite TV show
– Go for coffee with a friend
– Cook or bake something tasty

Taking small steps

Taking the time to look after your mental wellbeing can be a challenge. A powerful way to take positive steps is to write down your intention in a clear, time-specific goal.

Clear, time-specified goals enable us to succeed, as goals can be achieved. Even when goals aren’t achieved, this can be used to think specifically about what was difficult and how to adjust these goals to make it easier to try again.

Try choosing one way to prioritise your mental wellbeing this week. It is best to anchor the intention to a known time or other commitment e.g. ‘after the biology lecture on Tuesday’. Use the phrase “I will do this specific action on this day at this time.” and see how it goes!

Sometimes, the thought of doing anything is just too much. If this describes your situation, don’t punish yourself. The great thing about taking small steps is that it doesn’t matter how small your goal is. You decide what you want to achieve and what is realistic for you to achieve. That way, the completion of any task – no matter how simple it may seem – is recognised as the achievement that it is.

You may find it useful to record how you felt during/after doing things to support your mental wellbeing in pictures or a journal. Doing this means that you can look back when you next feel low and remind yourself of how the activity helped you.

If you find yourself experiencing mental health difficulties which are preventing you from doing the things you want to do, seek help – whether through friends, family, a doctor, or your university support services.

This advice comes from studentminds.org.uk