Counselling

What is counselling?

The University offers short-term counselling for students. This is a specific brief psychological intervention that can help a person to gain greater insight to their current difficulties. This might include the impact of current and historical issues, as well as plans for the future. If you would like to better understand why you think and feel the way you do, and gain some insight to repeating or distressing patterns of behaviour, counselling may be for you.

Short-term counselling can:

• Make links between your thoughts, feelings, behaviours and experiences

• Clarify a persons psychological challenges, offering strategies and tools for better self management

• Begin to make links between past experience and current challenges

• Manage the fluctuations and stresses that can come up from studying at university.

How can I access counselling?

If you know you're interested in counselling, please mention it to your Adviser within your appointment - they will discuss your difficulties with you and explore your options for support. Once referred to the service, you will be offered up to 5 counselling sessions. To book an initial Wellbeing appointment, please email: studentwellbeing@hud.ac.uk

Counselling isn't for everyone, and you may find more suitable support in our 24/7 support section, or you may prefer to seek counselling outside of the University. There can be long wait times to be seen by a Counsellor, but you will be informed of this prior to being put on the waiting list. You are still welcome to see a Wellbeing or Mental Health Adviser in the meantime.

Our Counsellors are trained, experienced and abide by the Framework for Good Practice of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (www.bacp.co.uk). Strict confidentiality will be maintained between you and your counsellor but may be broken if required by law, if agreed between you and your counsellor or if there is a risk to yourself or another person. We ask your permission to keep records of your counselling which are stored securely for a pre-agreed period in compliance with relevant data protection legislation.