School Counselling in Cheltenham and Gloucestershire 

Flexible, affordable counselling for students, teachers and school staff

Professional counselling support for your school, without the need to employ a resident counsellor.

At Acorn Therapy, I work with schools to support the emotional wellbeing of students, teachers and other members of the school community.

I understand that schools need flexible ways to respond to the emotional and mental health needs of their students and staff. Employing a full-time counsellor is not always practical or affordable, which is why I offer a visiting, pay-as-you-go counselling service.

You can arrange individual counselling sessions when needed, book regular sessions for students who would benefit from ongoing support, or discuss a tailored arrangement for your school.

I offer face-to-face counselling in Cheltenham and the surrounding Cotswolds and Gloucestershire area, with online counselling available across the UK where appropriate.

School counselling sessions: £35 per session for regular school referrals.

Get in touch to discuss your school’s needs, ask questions or arrange an initial conversation.

Contact Denis at Acorn Therapy

Counselling support for your whole school community

School life can bring challenges that affect emotional wellbeing, relationships, confidence, attendance and learning. Teachers and other education professionals also face pressures that can be difficult to manage alongside their responsibilities at work and home.

Having a confidential, supportive space to talk can help people explore their difficulties, understand their feelings and consider ways forward.

I offer counselling support for:

Students and young people

I work with secondary school students, sixth-form and college students, and young adults. This includes international and boarding-school students.

Students may be struggling with:

• Anxiety, stress, low mood or emotional overwhelm.

• Exam pressure, academic expectations and fear of failure.

• Low self-esteem, confidence or difficulties with self-image.

• Friendship difficulties, bullying, peer pressure and relationships.

• Family separation, bereavement or other significant life changes.

• Anger, emotional regulation and expressing difficult feelings.

• School attendance difficulties and challenges adjusting to a new environment.

• Cultural identity, racism, belonging and feeling different.

• Homesickness, loneliness and adjusting to life away from home.

• Neurodiversity-related challenges affecting relationships, confidence or school life.

My aim is to provide a space where young people can feel listened to, understood and supported without fear of judgement.

Teachers and education professionals

Teaching and working in education can be rewarding, but it can also be emotionally demanding. The pressure to support students, meet expectations, manage workloads and balance professional and personal responsibilities can take its toll.

I offer confidential counselling for teachers and other education professionals, including:

• Primary, secondary and further education teachers.

• Teaching assistants and special educational needs (SEN) staff.

• Pastoral teams, school leaders and other education professionals.

• Staff experiencing work-related stress, anxiety or burnout.

• Those feeling emotionally exhausted, overwhelmed or undervalued.

• Education professionals struggling to switch off from work.

• Teachers working overseas or in international schools who may be dealing with isolation, cultural adjustment or distance from family.

Counselling offers an opportunity to step back, reflect and explore what is affecting you, in a space where you do not have to be the person looking after everyone else.

Parents and carers

Parents and carers can sometimes feel unsure about how best to support a child who is struggling emotionally, experiencing difficulties at school or finding it hard to communicate.

Where appropriate, I can offer counselling to parents and carers who need space to explore their own feelings, concerns and challenges.

This is separate from a child’s individual counselling, with confidentiality and information-sharing arrangements agreed appropriately.

A flexible counselling service for schools

You don’t need to employ a resident counsellor

I offer a practical alternative for schools that want access to professional counselling without committing to a permanent or full-time appointment.

Depending on your school’s needs and budget, we can discuss the following options.

1. Pay-as-you-go counselling

Arrange individual sessions when a student or member of staff needs support, subject to availability and suitability. There is no need to commit to a full-time counselling service.

2. Regular student counselling

Book weekly or fortnightly sessions for students who would benefit from a consistent space to work through their difficulties.

3. Visiting school counsellor

I can visit your school on agreed days or at agreed times, providing sessions in a suitable private room. We can discuss the number of sessions and frequency of visits that work best for you.

4. Counselling for school staff

Arrange individual counselling for teachers, teaching assistants, pastoral staff and other education professionals experiencing personal or work-related difficulties.

5. Creative wellbeing activities and workshops

Where appropriate, I can offer creative approaches to emotional wellbeing, including activities involving art, writing, music and therapeutic drumming. Separate workshops can be discussed according to your school’s needs.

6. Online counselling

Online sessions can provide another way for suitable students and adults to access support, including those outside my local area. Online work with young people is subject to appropriate safeguarding, privacy and suitability arrangements.

Each school is different. I am happy to discuss your needs and explore a practical arrangement without assuming that every school needs the same service.

Why choose Acorn Therapy?

Experience in counselling, education and youth work

I am Denis Victor, an integrative counsellor with a BA in Integrative Counselling from the University of Worcester and MBACP registration.

I bring together my professional counselling training with extensive experience in education and supporting young people.

My background includes:

• Around nine years of post-qualification counselling experience.

• Approximately 15 years of youth work experience before training as a counsellor.

• Seven years working as a school and boarding-school counsellor.

• Experience supporting young people through educational, emotional, social and personal challenges.

• Experience working with people from different cultural and educational backgrounds.

This background has helped me understand the pressures young people can face, the demands placed on education professionals and the importance of building trust before expecting someone to open up.

A warm, down-to-earth approach

My approach is person-centred and integrative. I draw on different counselling approaches according to the needs and circumstances of each individual.

I aim to create a calm, respectful and non-judgemental space where people can speak openly and feel heard.

Counselling is not about telling people how to live or expecting them to have all the answers. It is about helping them explore what is happening, understand themselves better and find their own ways forward.

Creative ways of engaging young people

Not every student finds it easy to sit down and talk about their feelings. Some may struggle to find the words, feel uncomfortable discussing personal issues or be unsure about counselling in the first place.

Where appropriate, I can incorporate creative methods such as drawing, creative writing, music, movement and therapeutic drumming.

These approaches can offer different ways to express feelings, explore experiences and build confidence. They are optional and adapted to the individual rather than used as a one-size-fits-all method.

My aim is to meet each person where they are and help them engage in a way that feels manageable and meaningful.

Culturally sensitive and inclusive support

Students and staff bring different cultures, family experiences, identities and expectations into school life. These can shape how people understand their feelings, seek help and respond to difficulties.

My own experience of different cultural environments informs my appreciation of these differences.

I aim to provide inclusive counselling that respects each person’s background and experiences, including those navigating cultural adjustment, identity, racism, belonging or life away from home.

How counselling can support students

Counselling provides an opportunity for students to explore difficulties in a supportive setting, at their own pace.

Depending on their circumstances, it may help them to:

• Develop greater self-awareness and emotional understanding.

• Explore anxiety, stress and difficult feelings.

• Build confidence and healthier self-esteem.

• Find ways to manage pressure and challenging situations.

• Express feelings and communicate more effectively.

• Reflect on friendships, relationships and family experiences.

• Navigate change, loss and uncertainty.

• Recognise coping strategies and identify when further support may be needed.

Counselling can complement a school’s existing pastoral and wellbeing provision. It does not replace specialist mental health services or emergency support when these are needed.

How the service works

I aim to make the process of arranging counselling as straightforward as possible.

Step 1: Get in touch

Contact me to discuss your school, the type of support you are looking for and whether you need occasional sessions or regular counselling.

Step 2: Agree an arrangement

We discuss availability, fees, location, session frequency, referrals, consent, confidentiality and safeguarding responsibilities.

Step 3: Arrange referrals

We agree how students or staff can be referred, how suitability will be considered and how the necessary consent and information-sharing arrangements will be managed.

Step 4: Begin counselling

Once the arrangements are in place and counselling is considered appropriate, sessions can begin at the agreed times and location.

Step 5: Review as needed

We can review practical arrangements and whether the service continues to meet the school’s needs, while respecting individual confidentiality.

What does the school need to provide?

For face-to-face sessions, the school will generally need to provide a suitable private room where conversations cannot be overheard.

We would also agree a named school contact, referral procedures, safeguarding arrangements and practical details before sessions begin.

Safeguarding, confidentiality and professional practice

The safety and wellbeing of the people I work with are important.

I work within my professional ethical responsibilities and agreed safeguarding arrangements. Before working with a school, I would discuss how referrals, consent, confidentiality, information-sharing and safeguarding concerns will be managed.

Counselling conversations are private, but confidentiality is not absolute. Information may need to be shared where safeguarding concerns, serious risks or applicable legal and ethical obligations require it. Any information-sharing arrangements should be clear to the young person and other relevant parties.

For students under 18, consent and parental or carer involvement will be considered in accordance with the young person’s circumstances, applicable requirements and agreed safeguarding procedures.

I would agree appropriate arrangements with the school before the service begins, including relevant professional checks, insurance, supervision and data protection procedures.

Counselling is not an emergency service. Students or staff requiring urgent or specialist support may need to be directed to appropriate services.

Counselling fees for schools

I aim to provide a flexible service that schools can consider within their available budgets.

Standard individual counselling session: £50

Regular school counselling session: £35

First session: Free, subject to agreed introductory arrangements.

The reduced school rate is intended to make regular counselling more accessible for schools supporting students who need ongoing help.

Before sessions begin, we can agree the session length, frequency, payment arrangements and any applicable travel costs or cancellation terms.

Schools wishing to arrange a regular visiting service, a block of sessions or a creative wellbeing workshop are welcome to contact me for a discussion and quotation.

Where I work

Face-to-face: Cheltenham and the surrounding Cotswolds and Gloucestershire area, subject to agreed school locations and availability.

Online: Suitable counselling sessions for students and adults across the UK, subject to professional, safeguarding and practical requirements.

I am happy to discuss how visits or online sessions might fit around your school’s timetable.

Frequently asked questions

Do we have to employ you as our school counsellor?

No. I offer a flexible visiting service, so schools can arrange counselling without employing a resident counsellor or committing to a full-time post.

Can we book counselling only when we need it?

Yes. Pay-as-you-go sessions are available, subject to availability and suitability. Schools can also arrange regular sessions for students who would benefit from ongoing support.

Can you support teachers as well as students?

Yes. I offer counselling for teachers and other education professionals experiencing personal or work-related difficulties.

Can you work with students who do not want to talk?

I recognise that not every young person feels comfortable talking about their feelings straight away. I adapt my approach to the individual and may incorporate creative activities where appropriate.

Will the school be told what a student discusses in counselling?

Counselling is confidential within professional, ethical and safeguarding boundaries. Routine disclosure of session content is not appropriate. The arrangements for communication and any necessary information-sharing will be agreed before counselling begins.

Can parents refer their children?

Parents and carers can contact me to discuss their concerns. Where counselling is arranged through a school, the referral, consent and involvement of parents or carers will follow the agreed procedures and the young person’s circumstances.

What happens if a student needs specialist support?

I consider whether counselling is appropriate for each individual. If a student needs support beyond my competence or the scope of the service, appropriate onward referral should be considered in consultation with the relevant people and in accordance with safeguarding and confidentiality requirements.

Can you provide group counselling or wellbeing workshops?

I can discuss suitable creative wellbeing activities and workshops for schools. Group activities have different aims and confidentiality considerations from individual counselling, so the format and arrangements would be agreed in advance.

Let’s talk about supporting your school

If your school is looking for a flexible way to provide counselling support for students, teachers or other staff, I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you.

You do not need to commit to employing a resident counsellor to make professional counselling available to your school community.

Whether you need occasional sessions, regular student support or a visiting counselling arrangement, we can discuss what might work best for your school.

Contact Denis Victor

Acorn Therapy

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.acorntherapy.co.uk

Get in touch to discuss your school’s needs, ask questions or arrange an introductory conversation.

Acorn Therapy — a supportive space to talk, explore and grow.