Counselling

What happens in counseling?

Counselling is not the same as giving advice. Rather, a counselor seeks to help you to focus on and understand more clearly the issues that concern you. By respecting your own values, choices and lifestyle, the counsellor can work together with you towards making choices or changes that are right for you. Counselling is not any one thing but is adapted by the counselor to fit the needs of the student. Counselling is basically about a relationship with another person who is skilled and has expertise in dealing with the difficulties encountered by students. This relationship is will be one of support and advice, education and challenge, warmth and empathy. It will normally be on a weekly or fortnightly basis, for as long as both counselor and student consider necessary. Each session normally lasts up to one hour and takes place in a comfortable and private setting.

• The first meeting will consist of a detailed assessment and evaluation of the situation presented by the student. Here, also, the Counsellor will explain about the nature of the work and what the student might expect. Goals and objectives of counselling will be established at this point.
• Most people are seen individually, but group counselling can also be offered when appropriate.

What sort of problems can be helped with counselling?

Most personal, relationship or identity problems can be helped through counselling - this includes anxiety, stress and depression, family and/or relationship difficulties, sexual problems or identity issues. It also includes talking over adjusting to a new culture, or dealing with dilemmas or difficult decisions, and well as more specific problems, such as addictions or eating problems.

Counselling aims to address all problems of psychological survival and coping, whether seemingly major or minor. Oftentimes students will say that they didn't think their problem was serious enough for counseling and that they didn't want to be wasting the Counsellors time. Talking to somebody at this stage, before things have escalated is often the best and is to be encouraged. Don't wait until a problem has grown very serious - we would much rather you came when something is relatively minor, so that it can be resolved more quickly.

• Approximately 500 students avail of the service annually.

What if more help is needed than the Service can provide?

• If it is appropriate, referrals can be made to a variety of psychological, therapeutic or psychiatric services in the community. Your counsellor would discuss this with you if this seems the best way forward.
• All students should be registered with a G.P. and it is often helpful if you inform him or her that you are seeing a counselor at the University./ul>
  

  Is there an emergency service?

  • When a matter is a genuine emergency, we will arrange for you to see a counsellor quickly - we keep daily emergency appointment spaces in the diary - so please do not let the busyness of the Service put you off coming, especially when something is urgent. Emergencies will be given priority and will be seen on the day.