Exam results are a lot to carry.
No one should carry them alone.
Confidential counselling for 16–18 year olds and their parents – whether results are still to come or already in. Calm, practical support from a BACP-registered counsellor in St Ives, Cambridgeshire.
BACP-registered · 14 years’ experience · Adults & young people
Or email Email Alison
Exam results carry a weight that’s hard to put into words.
For a lot of young people, results day isn’t just about grades. It’s about a future that suddenly feels decided by one envelope. The pressure can show up as:
- Trouble sleeping, or waking early with a knot of dread
- Snapping at home, or going quiet and shutting the door
- “I’ve ruined everything” thinking, long before any results arrive
- Panic about letting parents down, or falling behind friends
- Feeling frozen – unable to make a plan or picture what’s next
None of this means something is wrong with them. It means they care, and the stakes feel enormous. Talking it through with someone outside the family often lifts more than parents expect.
A note to parents
You’ve watched them revise, worry, and pretend they’re fine. You want to help – but “you’ll be okay” bounces off, and pushing makes it worse. That’s not a failing on your part. Sometimes a young person needs a space that isn’t home, with someone who isn’t Mum or Dad.
I offer exactly that: a calm, confidential room (or video call) where your teenager can say the things they won’t say to you – and leave feeling steadier. You don’t need a diagnosis or a crisis to book. If they’re struggling, that’s reason enough.
If you or your teenager could benefit from support during this time, please get in touch.
A note to you (the student)
If your parents sent you this link – or you found it yourself at 2am – read this bit.
Right now it might feel like your whole life is riding on a set of grades. It isn’t, even though everyone saying so doesn’t make it any easier to believe. You don’t have to have it figured out, and you don’t have to be “in crisis” to talk to someone.
A session with me is just a conversation. No judgement, no lectures, nothing repeated back to your parents without your say-so. Just a space to think clearly again – whether that’s calming the wait, or working out what actually comes next.
Getting started is simple.
- Book a free call. A short, no-pressure chat so we can see if I’m the right fit. No commitment.
- Your first session. In person in St Ives, or by video call – whatever feels easier. We go at your teen’s pace.
- Move forward. We keep going as long as it’s useful – sometimes a couple of sessions is enough to lift the weight.
About Alison
I’m Alison Wenham, an integrative counsellor with over 14 years’ experience supporting adults and young people. I blend humanistic, CBT, psychodynamic and brief-focused approaches to fit the person in front of me – not the other way around. I’m warm, calm and easy to talk to, and I’m registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Is it confidential?
Yes. What your teenager shares with me stays between us, within the usual professional safeguarding limits, which I’ll always explain up front.
My child says they’re "fine". Should I still book?
“Fine” is often the word for “I don’t know how to talk about this.” A free call costs nothing and puts no pressure on them. It’s a low, easy first step.
Do you offer online sessions?
Yes – sessions are available in person in St Ives or by secure video call, whichever suits.
How quickly can we be seen?
I keep appointments open around results week specifically, so support is there when it’s needed most.
You don’t have to wait for it to get worse.
Whether results are days away or already in, a single conversation can change how the whole thing feels. Book a free, no-pressure call and let’s take the first step together.