Our Process – What to Expect

Complete Our Referral Form

To register with the Student Counselling Service you need to self-refer using our secure online form. No-one else can refer you to our service.

Register Now – Secure Online Form

The form is in two parts;

• Part one is your details and availability, as you're signed in through your University account, some of this will auto-complete,
• Part two is optional, and asks some questions to provide the therapist with some background on your reasons for approaching the service. You can write as much, or as little as you like.

If you aren’t able to access our form, please email us.

Contact us

Once you have completed the form, you will receive an automated email confirming your referral has been received.

Consultation Appointment

Once we’ve processed your referral form, we will get in touch offering you a video consultation at a time you have indicated you are available.

We will usually email to offer you an appointment time with a time date to confirm by, so make sure you keep an eye on your emails and reply to let us know whether or not you can attend. Emails will be sent to your University email account.

If you've noted on your referral that you would prefer telephone contact we'll phone you to arrange the appointment. Sometimes consultation sessions become available at short-notice following cancellations. If you've selected the option on the form saying that you're ok with being offered one of these and included a UK contact number, we'll usually try and phone you to offer.

The consultation is a 45 minute session with a qualified therapist in which you discuss your situation and possible support options. The therapist will guide you through. You'll be emailed a password protected Assessment Outcome (AO) document within a couple of days of your session which outlines what you agreed and any resources recommended.

Next steps

At the end of your consultation, you and the counsellor will decide what the best steps are.  Normally one or more of the following:

• Brief Therapy Through the Service
• Recommendations for Self-Help
• A Referral to Another University Service
• A Referral to an External Service

Brief Therapy Through the Service

At your consultation, the most appropriate therapy will be discussed, including:

• Short-Term Counselling
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Email Counselling

If short-term therapy through the service is agreed at your consultation you will go onto the waiting list to start your sessions. The waiting time varies throughout the academic year and you will be given an indication of the approximate current waiting time, as well as number of sessions, at your consultation session.

Therapy sessions last for approximately 45 minutes and are usually held the same day and time each week. Our administration team will contact you to arrange your first session. Each subsequent session is confirmed 'in the room' with your counsellor. It's important to remember that if you miss a session, without cancelling or getting in touch, the next session is not automatically booked in. You will need to contact the service to let us know that you still wish to continue.

If you need to cancel your next appointment get in touch with the service as soon as possble, you can email the service at student.counselling@ed.ac.uk, or phone us on 0131 650 4170. Please do not contact your counsellor directly either by email or through Teams message, it's important that you contact us through our main contact options. Please see our cancellation policy: Cancellation policy.

Privacy Notice

Please read our Privacy Notice before you complete the online form.  It outlines what information we keep, why and how we process it.

Safe and Confidential Environment

Some people particularly struggle with finding the language to express how they feel. They are uncomfortable talking about what they perceive as failure, and find it hard to know where to turn to when it becomes impossible to ignore disturbing feelings, behaviours and physical symptoms.

Speaking to a professional counsellor gives you the opportunity to talk, listen and express yourself without being judged.

Browse the Information on Our Site

Before you complete our referral form you may find the self-help sections of this site helpful.

Self help

Register