Peer Support Scheme

The process of having someone really listening to me was not only incredibly liberating, it was empowering. It inspired me to overcome the worries I had and to want to help others through theirs. The gift of listening is indescribably valuable.

Peer Supporters are trained student volunteers who support their peers by offering a non-judgmental, confidential listening space to any LSE student. That means you! 

You can use this form to register your interest in speaking to a peer supporter - this allows you to specify what you want to speak about or would like support with, and you can also choose who you wish to speak to if you wish. One of us will contact you directly on receipt of your form.  

If you would prefer to reach out to one of us rather than fill in a form, you can email any of the peer supporters directly, or reach us at sws.peer.support@lse.ac.uk, with the subject line REQUEST TO TALK

You can find a list of all the current peer supporters with photos and biogs here.

Making contact with a peer supporter now is really helpful - it's a point of contact if you want to check in and have a confidential chat, and will make it easier to reach out if sometime later you are finding things tough. No issue is too big or small to bring to a peer supporter. They will listen, and if you wish, can help you explore options for how to move forward.

The team will also be running stalls and events throughout the year, on campus and in halls which is another way to get to know them, and if you would like a regular space to chat with other students in a group with a peer supporter mentoring, then you can also indicate this on the form.

Any student can speak to any peer supporter - this is a fully inclusive scheme available to all students. We believe that asking for help is a sign of strength not of weakness, and reaching out is a chance to build connections and speak to students you might not otherwise meet.

Please click on the link to sign up for peer support.

Applications to become a Peer Supporter in 2023-24 are now open. The last date to submit your application is March 31st, 2023. See here for more information on becoming a Peer Supporter.

Apply to become a Peer Suppoter here!

Watch our video to learn more about Peer Support and how it can help you

Introducing Peer Support at LSE Introducing Peer Support at LSE
Introducing Peer Support at LSE

If you have any other queries, please contact Susie Ward, Peer Support Co-ordinator by email: s.ward@lse.ac.uk. Susie works Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at LSE and will respond to your email by the next working day.

Black Joy: Self Esteem, Self Care and Self Compassion

This in-person interactive workshop is for LSE students who identify as Black, and will be facilitated by Yannick Yalipende and Nkasi Stoll, Founders of Black People Talk

Yannick Yalipende 

Yannick is currently pursuing a professional doctorate in Clinical Psychology. He holds a MSc in Clinical Associate Psychology from University College London, a MSc in Applied Neuropsychology, and a BSc in Experimental Psychology from the University of Bristol. Yannick has over 9 years of experience working in clinical and community mental health and wellbeing services.

Nkasi Stoll

Nkasi is doing a PhD in Psychological Medicine Research at King’s College London titled: “Mental Health and Wellbeing of Black University Students in the UK”. She holds a MSc in Mental Health Studies from King’s College London and a BSc (Hons) Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Nottingham. Nkasi has over 10 years of clinical and research experience working in mental health and wellbeing services.

Sign up to book your place!

Thursday, March 30th 2023, 2:00-4:00pm

Who are the peer supporters and how do I contact them?

The current group of Peer Supporters have completed a 30 hour training programme and will receive ongoing training and supervision throughout the academic year with the LSE Student Counselling Service.

For biographical details see our list of all Peer Supporters with some information about them and their email addresses so you can choose who to contact. If you would like a peer supporter to conact you, please email sws.peer.support@lse.ac.uk and someone will respond within a week (usually much more quickly).

All Peer Supporters can be contacted by any student regardless of their year of study, whether they are living in a hall of residence or in private accommodation. Peer Support is not specifically a buddy system for freshers, anyone can contact a peer supporter to talk over anything they wish, in confidence.

Any LSE student can contact any Peer Supporter. 

Video introductions

Some of our Peer Supporters have recorded videos to introduce themselves to you. Get to know them here!

  

Accounting and Finance student, Amy - A.Cheung3@lse.ac.uk Accounting and Finance student, Amy - A.Cheung3@lse.ac.uk
Accounting and Finance student, Amy - A.Cheung3@lse.ac.uk

 

    

Social and Public Policy student, Naveen - n.venkatanarayanan@lse.ac.uk Social and Public Policy student, Naveen - n.venkatanarayanan@lse.ac.uk
Social and Public Policy student, Naveen - n.venkatanarayanan@lse.ac.uk

  

 

About the scheme

LSE wants your studying and working environment to be welcoming and inclusive. However we realise that, at times, this environment can be challenging.

At these times it can be useful to speak to somebody who has been through something similar and the LSE Peer Support Scheme seeks to be reflective of the diversity of the LSE student body as a whole:

  • Supporters from different ethnic, cultural, national and religious backgrounds
  • Disabled and non-disabled supporters
  • Supporters from LGBT+ backgrounds
  • Supporters from different age groups and different genders
  • Supporters with experience of caring responsibilities.

Watch our Peer Support Scheme video on Youtube

Peer Support is a proven, successful programme which runs at many universities in the UK and the US. It provides 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 the Peer Support Scheme provides a crucial service for students to talk to other students about anything they are worried about.

Peer Supporters are not counsellors, nor can they provide you with solutions to your problems. However they have been specifically selected and trained in listening, questioning and responding skills so they can help other students to reach their own solutions. It can make a huge difference to talk to someone who is non-judgemental, impartial and outside of your situation.

What can Peer Supporters help me with?

Peer Supporters are available and happy to listen to anything you are finding difficult. 

These are some of the issues that Peer Supporters have supported their fellow students with:

Family                             Alcohol, drugs or eating problems
Cultural differences Homesickness or loneliness
Peer pressure Stress or trouble with sleeping
Exam anxiety Worries about the future or employment
Financial concerns Supporting a friend who is experiencing difficulty
Your course/the workload                      Sex, sexual health, contraception or pregnancy
Friends and relationships Self harm or suicidal thoughts

Peer Supporters can also signpost you to other services in the School where you can get more specialist help and support.

How can I become a Peer Supporter?

Applications to become a Peer Supporter in 2023-24 are now open. The last date to submit your application is March 31st, 2023. See here for more information on becoming a Peer Supporter.

Apply to become a Peer Suppoter here!

The scheme is open to undergraduates, MRes/PhD students and 2 year Masters students; specifically you need to be currently studying here when you apply and available for the next academic year.

Watch a video about how to become a Peer Supporter on YouTube.

If you have any questions about the application process, please email c.duncan1@lse.ac.uk.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does confidentiality mean?

Everything you talk about to a Peer Supporter is kept between you and them. All the Peer Supporters have signed a document to this effect. They regularly reflect with the Scheme's coordinator, and may discuss issues that have arisen but will keep your identity confidential.

However in certain situations for the safety of the person seeking help, the wider community and the Peer Supporter, they may need to disclose certain information and will inform you of this whenever necessary.

In such circumstances, breaking confidentiality does not mean that what you have shared becomes public knowledge. A Peer Supporter will only tell the relevant person/s with regard to maintaining safety e.g.. a Warden or LSE counsellors.

Peer Supporters will never share anything you have told them with their friends.

Will talking to a Peer Supporter really help me

Talking to a Peer Supporter is not guaranteed to help, however 'a problem shared is a problem halved'.

Peer support schemes have been successful here and at other universities as they allow an informal, confidential and student-led method of support. Hopefully, Peer Supporters enable a student to feel more at ease than in a formal setting. They can possibly relate to a fellow student in a more successful manner than a professional who is no longer a student.

Who supports the Peer Supporters?

The Peer Supporters attend a reflective meeting with an LSE Student Counsellor every two weeks. In this way, the Peer Supporters can learn more and talk about what difficulties, pressures or issues they themselves might have.

What if the Peer Supporter doesn’t understand and can’t help me?

If you find that talking to the Peer Supporter has not provided the level of support and help you desired, there are other services designed to help you at LSE and in the wider community. The Peer Supporter is trained and will be happy to signpost you to a suitable method of support. The LSE Student Counselling Service provides more formal help. It is also important to register with a GP in London once you are resident here. A list of other external resources is available here.   

Can I choose which Peer Supporter I contact?

Yes. Find out more about the Peer Supporters by reading their biographies. This list also contains their individual contact details. There might be some Peer Supporters based in your hall of residence, however any LSE students can contact any Peer Supporter. Just drop them an email with your contact details so they can get back to you.

Is my problem too small and irrelevant?

No. No problem is too small. Peer Supporters are there to help you with any worry, concern or issue.  A Peer Supporter also understands that what may seem small to some may be a big concern for others.

Can I use Peer Support to get help for my friend?

We are trained to support the person in front of us. We can listen to your worries regarding someone else and if you feel they are in danger or are a danger to others its important to encourage that friend to contact the Student Counselling Service or their GP.

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Contact us

Telephone

Telephone +44 (0) 20 7852 3627

Address View on Google maps

Student Counselling Service, 4th Floor, Fawcett House (FAW), Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE