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I was alarmed by Frank Furedi's selective use of our 2001-02 survey data on counselling in higher and further education. In trumpeting his claims of a rampant "therapy culture" in British universities, he omitted to say that in 2001-02 an average of only 2.4 per cent and 3.7 per cent of students, in new and old universities respectively, took counselling. Most sought help for fewer than eight sessions, a period commonly associated with the kind of short-term difficulties that can significantly affect academic progress if allowed to escalate.

Ewan Gillon
Director, Researchwise, Edinburgh