Counselling & Wellbeing Services

It is a safe space where a small group of students meet regularly with two mental health practitioners to discuss challenges. Instead of facing difficulties alone, group members support one another, share experiences, and collaboratively develop new coping strategies. The group process emphasizes mutual learning; while mental health practitioners provide guidance, participants also gain valuable insights and skills through peer interaction.

While we recognize that sharing personal experiences within the group may feel challenging for some, we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to exchange support, feedback, and insights. It is normal to feel more comfortable sharing at times and to prefer observing or participating less on others.

Number of participants: Typically, each group consists of 8 to 12 members, accompanied by two facilitators who are qualified practitioners within the service.

Commitment: Groups run weekly for 6 consecutive weeks, with each session lasting 90 minutes. To ensure effectiveness of the group and create a safe space for all participants, consistent attendance is essential. Each group consists of the same members for all the sessions, and no new members can join after the start of the block. If you are unable to commit to the scheduled times and dates, please consider alternative options.

Venue: The sessions are held in person at the Counselling Service

• Reduce isolation and promote inclusivity
• Share experiences with others facing similar situations
• Gain diverse perspectives
• Enhance self-awareness
• Develop emotional clarity and understanding
• Improve communication and coping skills
• Understand how you interact with others, the impact you have, and how you are perceived
• Foster resilience and self- confidence

Depending on the group you will be attending, the focus will be different. Some groups are process-oriented, providing a space for participants to reflect and develop self-awareness and understanding of others. Others are more structured, emphasizing the learning of specific skills while offering opportunities to practice them. While members are encouraged to provide feedback and shared approaches for managing current challenges, the groups are designed primarily for reflection and skills development, rather than offering direct advice or solutions.

When you complete the registration form, please indicate your interest in participating in one of the therapy groups. Additionally, you may be referred to a group at a later stage if a team member believes it may be beneficial for your needs.

Losing someone you care about can feel overwhelming, and it can be hard to know how to navigate grief while managing the demands of university life. This group is a space to pause, reflect, and connect with others who understand the complexity of loss. Together, we will explore how grief shows up in your life, share experiences, and consider ways to cope while finding support and understanding. You may be invited to talk about meaningful memories, personal rituals, or ways your loved one’s influence continues in your life. By hearing and sharing stories with others, the group hopes to provide comfort, a sense of community, and gentle reassurance that you are not alone in your experience. 

Feeling anxious or overwhelmed can be exhausting, especially when it interferes with daily life and studies. This group offers a supportive space to explore your experiences of anxiety and to reflect on how it affects you. Together, we will share strategies to manage worry and stress and learn approaches to develop self-compassion and resilience. You will be invited to share your thoughts, experiences, and coping strategies, and to listen to others who understand what it’s like to navigate life with anxiety. The hope is that through this sharing and reflection, you’ll feel more supported, better equipped, and less alone in your journey. 

Emotions can be intense, confusing, and sometimes overwhelming, especially when it feels like they take over our thoughts, actions, or relationships. This group is a space to explore your emotional experiences with curiosity and compassion. We will combine skills-based learning with time to reflect and share your experiences, helping you notice and understand emotions, manage intense reactions, and build stronger connections with yourself and others. You may be invited to talk about moments that challenge you emotionally, as well as times when you’ve managed your feelings successfully. Through reflection, shared stories, and practical tools, the group aims to support you in navigating emotions more calmly, confidently, and connectedly. 

In a world that promotes extroversion and loudness, it can be difficult to thrive as a quieter person. Quietness is often perceived as a deficit, when it is in fact a different but equally valid way of being, and offers a sense of balance to the noise and clamour that tends to prevail in social life.  Those who are quieter by nature have a great deal to offer to the world, but some of us might struggle to believe this or to find validation for our way of being. This is what this group is all about – exploring what it is to be a quiet person in a noisy world and learning to value ourselves for who we are and what we bring to the world. To this end, we will reflect on our experience of being natural introverts, and how this has shaped our lives in terms of growth and challenge.  You will be invited to share with the group some formative experiences and perhaps a favourite song, book, film or painting that speaks to your experience of being a quiet person. It is our hope that sharing these experiences with the group, and hearing about the experiences of your peers, will imbue you with a sense of confidence about who you are and your place in the world.