The LSE Peer Support Scheme is a programme run by the LSE Student Counselling Service, providing students with a confidential space to talk and be listened to. It can sometimes be hard to talk to friends and family about certain issues, therefore Peer Support provides a crucial service for students to talk to other students about anything they are worried about. Peer Supporters have been selected and trained in listening, questioning and responding skills so they can help other students to reach their own solutions. It can be helpful to talk to someone who is non-judgemental, impartial and outside of your situation.
We as Peer Supporters are trained and supervised by the Counselling Service. The current group of Peer Supporters completed a 30-hour training programme and receive ongoing training and supervision throughout the academic year. I received full training on basic counselling skills, active listening skills and how to respond non-judgmentally. As a Peer Supporter, I feel like I’m embedded in a nice network of lovely people who care passionately about the mental health issues of the wider LSE community, just as much as I do. It’s a rewarding experience to feel like you’ve contributed to the wellbeing of other students. We as Peer Supporters try hard to build a safe and comfortable environment for students and care about their mental health.
The Student Wellbeing Service is currently working remotely due to COVID-19, and Peer Support is also being offered remotely. Peer Supporters are available online, so if you are a current LSE student I would encourage you to contact them to talk over any difficulties or anxieties you are having, which may of course be heightened in these strange and unprecedented times. We can offer you support via messaging or online video calls, whichever you prefer.
Please email any Peer Supporter if you would like to chat and you can arrange a time for a call. Please do stay in touch with us. In the meantime, take care of yourselves, stay safe and remain calm, wherever you are.
These are unprecedented times but we will get through them.
