Counsellor 1: Coming to university can be a really exciting time. You’ll be meeting new friends, discovering a new course, possibly even exploring a new city. But of course change can also be unsettling, and you may need some support as you adjust to a new environment and new routines. The Counselling Service is here to help, for those times when dealing with problems can seem too much to handle on your own.
Receptionist: Hiya
Student: Hi, I’ve got an appointment.
[Conversation between student and receptionist continues in the background]
Counsellor 1, voiceover: Apart from the issues associated with settling into a new environment, we can also help with other problems such as anxiety, depression, eating problems and relationship difficulties.
Counsellor 1: The Counselling Service also runs groups and workshops to help you adjust to your new life at university.
Counsellor 2: Hello, my name is Marilyn
[Conversation between counsellor and student continues in the background]
Counsellor 1, voiceover: For that other inevitable part of life at university, however, we can also help with exam preparation. For full details of all of our groups and workshops, please have a look at our website. We provide a confidential service and work in accordance with the guidelines and ethics of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Counsellor 1: We are here to help you to get the most out of your time at University.
Student: I started using Counselling and Guidance because I’d had a couple of family problems before I came to uni, my mum wasn’t very well, so I was struggling a bit to cope at first. I really struggled with, sort of, the distance and getting settled in properly, so I had some counselling and, sort of, tried to get over everything and it helped amazingly. They were so understanding and brilliant, it really helped to realise that I wasn’t the only one dealing with that.
I’d encourage any student who’s worried about something to go and see Counselling and Guidance as soon as they think they need, might want to or need to. There’s loads of advice they’ve got on their website so, you know, even if you’re just worried about a couple of things like exam anxiety or something, they do courses but you can also look at the website and do stuff in your own time. And then as soon as you think you might want to talk to somebody just go and see them, you’re probably better off just going as early as possible, the longer you wait the more likely you’ll work yourself up into a bit of a worry.
Counselling and Guidance is completely confidential, you can go to them and you can talk about absolutely anything, get all the weight off your shoulders at that point, and they’re not going to tell anybody unless it’s something really urgent. Most of the time you’ll just talk to the counsellor, and it’s a chance to, sort of, get reassured, realise everybody else is, sort of, dealing with stresses and anxieties as well.
