World Mental Health Awareness Day News

London Met staff raise awareness of key issues and support services available for students and staff.

Date: 15 October 2018

Students and staff came together to mark World Mental Health Awareness Day on Wednesday 10 October.

The University’s Counselling Service ran an information session in The Junction Cafe on the Holloway campus which aimed to raise awareness of the issues around mental health and the support available to staff and students.

The University Counselling Service offer two branches of support to both students; the first deals with emotional and psychological support, and the second offers training that is needed to support yourself and others. The aim is to create a holistic support system for the whole London Met community.

“A student can book a pre-counselling appointment with a member of the Counselling team to discuss any issue that might be affecting them. During these meetings, individuals can discuss their circumstances and explore their inner thoughts in a safe space,” said London Met’s Counselling Service Manager Yannis Andreadakis.

“Our aim is to create a plan of action with the individual over the next six to twelve weeks, with one session per week. A schedule will be made which solely works around the needs of the client. If need be, the team can also help with liaising with other internal, e.g. other Student Services, or external services, such as a GP or mental health professionals.”

Healthy Campus

Now in its second year, London Met’s healthy campus initiative brings together staff and students to discuss the best ways to improve the mental health of our students. The group has established a manifesto and will be running a number of focus group meetings and regular workshops throughout the year for anyone interested in gaining more awareness of various mental health issues, help in dealing with stress, and learning more empathetic ways of communicating with people.

Personal Development and Emotional Intelligence Certificate

This certificate for students is a short distance-learning course which comprises of six modules which students can complete for free in their own time. The modules deal with developing oneself, learning to achieve personal goals, practicing mindfulness, and communicating more empathetically with others.

Staff support

London Met also offers its staff support an information and telephone counselling support service (Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)) provided by one of the leading providers of these types of services (Workplace Options).