The Counselling Service

Therapy doesn’t have to happen one‑to‑one. Many students find that working alongside others in a professionally facilitated group provides connection, insight, and support in ways they didn’t expect. Group therapy brings together a small group of students who meet regularly to explore challenges, share experiences, and develop new ways of coping. Supported by trained mental health practitioners, it offers a safe and confidential space to work through difficulties with others who may have similar experiences. Connect, reflect, and move forward together. 

You don’t need to have tried group therapy before, and you don’t need to arrive with all the answers and there’s no expectation to share more than you feel comfortable with. Through guided discussion, therapeutic activities, and reflection, practitioners offer support and direction, while group members learn from one another and gain new perspectives. You don’t have to navigate challenges alone.  

Participants: Groups typically consist of up to 12 students and are facilitated by two mental health practitioners. 

Commitment: Each group is a short-term block so it is important you can attend all the sessions. If you realise that the dates don’t work for you, there’s no need to worry — we will offer future group therapy opportunities.  

Duration: Groups meet weekly for 4-6 consecutive weeks, with sessions lasting 60–90 minutes depending on the group. Regular attendance is important to maintain a safe, consistent environment for everyone.  The same members attend throughout the block, and new members cannot join once the group has started. 

Venue: Sessions are held in person at The Counselling Service, 67 Southpark Avenue. 

Group therapy can help you to: 

• Feel less isolated and connect with others who may have similar experiences 

• Gain different perspectives and insights 

• Develop greater self-awareness and emotional understanding 

• Improve communication and coping skills 

• Understand how you relate to others and how others may experience you 

• Build self-confidence and healthy coping skills. 

If you are interested in a particular group, you will need to complete an Expression of Interest form. Completing the form does not commit you to joining a group or confirm your place. 

Available group session dates are listed in the Expression of Interest form. If you can attend all the dates of your preferred group, we would like you to provide a little more information about why you are interested in joining. This will help us understand what you hope to gain from the experience and whether the group is right for you. Any information you provide will be treated confidentially.  

After you submit the form, a member of our team will contact you to arrange a conversation with one of the group therapy practitioners. This is an opportunity for you to ask any questions, talk a little more about your interest in the group, and find out more about what to expect. The practitioner will consider whether group therapy is a safe and appropriate option for you. If another form of support may be more suitable, they will discuss this with you. 

If the dates of your preferred group don’t work for you this time, don’t worry — future group therapy opportunities will be announced. 

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. Grief can be isolating, confusing and bring up a host of complicated emotions. Facing it alone can feel impossible and that’s why talking and sharing about it with others who have also experienced a bereavement can really help. 

IS THIS GROUP FOR YOU?  

Have you have lost someone close to you – a relative or friend – and found it difficult to understand or process your grief? Whether your loved one died recently or a long time ago, if you feel that you would benefit from a space to share and talk about loss then this group might be for you. 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THIS GROUP?  

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.  

Do you tend to relate to yourself harshly, critically, and with judgement?  Do you struggle with anxiety and low mood?  Do you find it hard to be kind to yourself and blame yourself when you are going through difficult times?  Do you want to engage and commit to developing skills to help you become more compassionate with yourself?  If so, this experiential group will support you with your tendency to criticise and shame yourself.  

IS THIS GROUP FOR YOU? 

This group is an opportunity to explore how you relate to yourself, particularly during times when you are struggling. It will give you space to understand your patterns of self-criticism and shame, explore what gets in the way of compassion, and develop practical skills to help you respond to yourself with greater kindness and understanding. The group is for anyone who is open to exploring compassion through discussion and experiential exercises, at a pace that feels manageable for them 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THIS GROUP? 

The group offers a safe and supportive space to explore the meaning of compassion and develop skills for thinking and responding with greater compassion. 

We will explore fears, blocks, and barriers to compassion, and learn practices that can help you move from self-criticism towards greater compassion for yourself and others. 

Emotions can sometimes be intense, confusing, and at times overwhelming, especially when they seem to influence our thoughts, actions, or relationships. 

Research shows that developing emotional awareness can help us better understand and respond to our emotions, increase our understanding of ourselves and our needs, and help us cope more effectively with difficult or stressful situations.  

IS THIS GROUP FOR YOU? 

Do you experience emotions very intensely or have strong emotional reactions? Do you find that your emotions can sometimes feel overwhelming or difficult to manage? Do you find it takes a long time to feel calm or like yourself again after becoming upset, stressed or overwhelmed? Do you want to develop a better understanding of your emotions and learn skills to help you manage them? If so, this group could be for you. 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THIS GROUP? 

This group offers a gentle and welcoming space to explore your emotional experiences with curiosity and compassion. 

We will combine practical skills-based learning with opportunities to reflect and share your experiences, helping you to recognise and understand your emotions, manage strong reactions, and foster deeper connections with yourself and others. 

You may be invited to discuss moments that have challenged you emotionally, as well as times when you have successfully managed your feelings. 

Through reflection, shared stories, and practical tools, the group aims to support you in navigating your emotions with greater calmness, confidence, and connection. 

The world can feel overwhelming at times, and it can be challenging to navigate the noise and clamour that surrounds us. For naturally quiet people, this can be especially difficult – from the pressure to be ‘on’ all the time to feeling the need to be heard and seen amidst the hustle and bustle.  

IS THIS GROUP FOR YOU?  

This group is an opportunity to explore what it means to be a quiet person in a noisy world, while learning to value ourselves for who we are and what we bring to the world. Together, we’ll hone skills in how to recognise and draw on the strengths that can come with a quieter way of being – including creativity, empathy, thoughtfulness, and the ability to bring balance and calm to those around us. You don’t need to become louder to have an impact. We’re all needed – just in different ways. 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THIS GROUP? 

This group offers a safe and supportive space to explore what it means to be a quiet person in a noisy world. Through conversation, reflection, and shared experiences, we’ll explore themes of quietness, introversion, creativity, and belonging. 

We may use music, poetry, film, online talks, and other creative material to explore how quietness is understood and represented, and how these ideas connect with our own experiences. There will be opportunities to share your thoughts, discover different perspectives, and explore the work of artists and writers who have reflected on these themes. You’re also welcome to bring along a favourite song, poem, film, artist, or piece of writing and share what it means to you. Together, we hope to recognise the strengths of quietness, build self-confidence, and feel more comfortable and accepting of our own way of being.