How to contact us

Once you have completed and submitted the referral form, we will acknowledge your request within 24 hours. A member of the team will shortly after be in touch to discuss and follow up appropriately with you.

Referral conversations are approximately between 5-20 minutes and aim to determine which support method will be most helpful to you.

Some of the possible support recommendations may be:

• Brief-Counselling within our service (up-to-6 sessions).
• Longer-term Counselling with an external service.
• A referral to our Student Mental Health Intervention team within our service.
• Internal support from another department, such as your Personal or Senior Tutor, the Departmental Wellbeing Advisor, Student Support Team, Chaplaincy, the Disability Advisory Service, the SU Advice Centre, etc.
• A psychoeducational workshop or webinar on exam stress, procrastination, sleep difficulties, mindfulness, or self-compassion.
• Other self-directed support, such as our Kind Mind video series or written self-help guide.

If you are unable to attend an appointment, please let a member of the team know as soon as possible by emailing referraltoscmhas@imperial.ac.uk. This allows us to offer the appointment to someone else who may be waiting. We'll aim to reschedule your appointment as soon as possible.

Departmental Wellbeing Advisers: Wellbeing Advisers can talk with you confidentially one-to-one about anything that’s on your mind, and they can further signpost you to the correct support available to you and your circumstances. ‌‌

Imperial College Health Centre: If you are registered with the health centre, they too offer in-house counselling, and currently have availability. You can be referred for this via your GP, and again, see which service becomes available to you first.

If you need help for a mental health crisis or emergency, you should get immediate expert advice and assessment. You can get help from 111 online or call 111 and select the mental health option (option 2). 111 will tell you the right place to get help. You may also be able to speak to a trained mental health professional over the phone.

You can also ask to see someone at the Accident and Emergency department of your nearest hospital. Information about your local A&E services can be found on the NHS 'Find Accident and Emergency Services' page.

Call 999 if you need help straight away.

Other urgent out of hours mental health support:

• Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service (MHCAS) :: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust -  provide full emergency mental health assessments and onward care planning. They see and assess anyone over 18 years old that would otherwise go to an emergency department for mental health reasons and does not have an urgent medical need. The Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and accepts walk-ins - St Charles Hospital, Mental Health Centre, Exmoor Street, London W10 6DZ.
• The Listening Place - provides free, face-to-face support across London for individuals to talk openly about their suicidal feelings without being judged or being given advice. They are open every day of the year from 9.00am – 9.00pm and will meet you at one of their three locations near Hammersmith, Victoria, or Kings Cross. Sessions are offered on a fortnightly basis and can last up to three months. You can access support via their referral form online. 
• The Cove - an NHS Service offering drop-in mental health support for anyone experiencing mental health distress. They are open every day of the year from 14:00 - 22:00 and can meet with you in-person, on the telephone or through online video sessions on Zoom. For the Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster Cove, call 07827 437081 or drop in to The Lighthouse, Dunbell Building, St Mary's Hospital, Praed Street, W2 1RL.
• Samaritans - for people experiencing high levels of distress including suicidal feelings. Call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org, this service is 24 hours.
• Nightline - offer a confidential listening support and practical information service via instant messaging for students in London.  They are open from 18:00 - 02:00 every night of term. Click the 'chat with us now' button on their website.
• Shout crisis text service - offers a 24 hour text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. Text 'SHOUT' to 85258.
• HOPElineUK - a confidential support and advice service for young people under the age of 35 who may be having thoughts of suicide and anyone concerned a young person may be having thoughts of suicide. Call 0800 068 4141, Text 07860039967, or email pat@papyrus-uk.org
• Imperial College Health Centre - doctors surgery nearest to South Kensington Campus. Call 020 7584 6301 or email imperialcollege.hc@nhs.net

Location

We are based on the 5th floor of the Sherfield Building via the East entrance. Please arrive via the Sherfield (East) Entrance, take the lift/elevator or stairs to the 5th floor and ring the bell by our front door and our reception team will greet you for your appointment.

We have an additional space on the 8th floor of the Chemistry Building. Please arrive via the Chemistry Building entrance and take lift/elevator up to the eighth floor, and ring the bell and our reception team will greet you for your appointment. 

Reception opening times

Reception is usually open on weekdays in term time between 09.00-12.00  and 14:00-16.00. Times may vary out of term time.  

Location

The counselling room is in the Commonwealth Building (the building just behind the Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, W12 0NN) in room 208 which is located on the first floor, in the Wolfson Education Centre by lecture theatre 2.

Please note that this campus does not have a reception office – any queries regarding appointments should be made via the South Kensington reception.

We are not currently offering in-person appointments at the Silwood campus, however you can receive remote support via online sessions through Teams.

Appointments at Charing Cross are currently unavailable.