Frequently asked questions
Please click on the relevant question below to find the answer to your query. If you still can't find the information you are looking for, please contact us .
Who can use the Counselling Service?
The Counselling Service is available to all registered undergraduate and postgraduate students and to all members of the academic and support University staff. We are not able to see family members of University staff or students. The Service is unable to offer counselling required as part of a counselling training course.
What is counselling?
Counselling offers an opportunity to talk in confidence about problems or issues that concern you. It is a therapeutic approach that seeks to help you to explore and understand current difficulties, and to make choices in your life. Counselling aims to help individuals take responsibility for their own decisions, become more aware of their personal resources, more skilled at coping with difficulties and thus more self reliant in future. It encourages increasing skill in both personal relationships and social groupings.
Further information on counselling .
Who are the counsellors?
The Service has a team of professionally qualified and widely experienced counsellors and therapists. They are used to helping people from many different backgrounds and cultures with a wide range of personal issues.
About our counsellors .
Do I have to pay for counselling?
No. Counselling is part of the University's Student Services and is free of charge to registered undergraduate and postgraduate students and to University employees.
Where is the Counselling Service?
The Counselling Service is based in Trent Building on University Park campus. We are on the Ground Floor (Rooms A75-A85). During term time we are open Monday to Friday 9am - 1pm and 2pm - 4.30pm. In vacations we open Monday to Friday 9am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 4.30pm. You can also
contact us by telephone or by email.
Do you only see clients on University Park Campus?
Counselling is also available at Boston, Derby, Lincoln and Mansfield to provide a service to the staff and students of the Schools of Nursing and Academic Division of Midwifery as well as the Medical School, Derby (GEM).
There is also a service at the Sutton Bonington campus (term-time only) and Jubilee campus.
Appointments are limited to specific days at these sites. Appointments for all these sites can be made through the Counselling Service office on main campus.
How do I make an appointment?
You can call in to the Service in Trent Building at the University Park Campus or you can
contact us via telephone or email. Emails are checked daily, however it is usually easier to negotiate a convenient appointment by telephone.
How long will I have to wait for an appointment?
We try to offer a first appointment within 10 working days. However, it may be longer at busy times of the academic year or if you have a very full timetable. As there is a high demand for appointments please make every effort to attend your appointment or let us know if you no longer need the appointment.
What can I expect at my appointment?
Your initial appointment will last approximately 30 to 50 minutes. The purpose of this session is to consider the problem you have come with and work out the best course of action with a counsellor. The counsellor may suggest a second appointment, if more time is needed. If it is decided that further sessions would be helpful we will place your name on our waiting list for regular counselling sessions.
What if I need to talk to someone when the Counselling Service is closed?
The Counselling Service is open Monday to Friday, 9.00 am - 4.30 pm. Outside of these hours there are a number of
services you can contact .
How long will I have to wait for regular counselling sessions?
Waiting times vary depending on the time of year and the demand on the Service, as well as your availability ─ it can range between a week or a couple of months. However, we do try to minimise waiting times, since we know that once a decision has been made to seek help it is hard to have to wait. If, at any point, you feel that it is becoming difficult to go on waiting, or if your situation changes, you can request a further appointment with a counsellor. This will usually be the counsellor you saw at the initial assessment appointment.
How many sessions can I have?
You may be offered up to six sessions. However, it might be that you need to carry on seeing your counsellor for a longer period. This will be something your counsellor will discuss with you.
Is the Counselling Service accessible for students and staff with a disability?
The Counselling Service at University Park is fully accessible. Rooms can be made available at some other sites, but we may need advance notice to make arrangements. If you would like to let us to know of any individual needs, please do so in advance of your appointment if possible.
What kind of problems can I bring to counselling?
Counselling can help with a wide range of problems ─ anything that is worrying you and disrupting your normal work, study or personal life can be talked over in counselling. Some of the issues brought to the Service include anxiety, depression, family concerns, bereavement, difficulty in adjusting to a new way of life, work and study related problems, physical and/or sexual abuse, eating difficulties, self harm and sexual problems.
Will my problem be seen as serious enough?
We are happy to talk over any problem, big or small. Some people are concerned about taking up the counsellor's time but no problem is too small or unusual and it often helps to talk something through in a safe and
confidential environment.
Will the counsellor give me advice?
Counsellors don't generally give advice since the purpose of counselling is to help you make your own decision. However, they may help you to work out how best to deal with your situation.
What records are kept?
Counsellors keep brief, hand-written notes on counselling sessions, and your contact details are held on computer. Emails are also retained. This confidential information is stored securely within the Service, kept for five years and then destroyed or deleted. If you have any questions about this please raise them with your counsellor. Anonymous statistical information is kept electronically and used to aid the efficient running of the Service.
All records are kept securely with access only available to members of the Counselling Service. Notes of your initial appointment may be seen by other members of the Counselling team, since it may be a different counsellor who offers ongoing counselling sessions. Further information on confidentiality .
How confidential is counselling?
The Counselling Service takes confidentiality very seriously. All client information is treated in confidence. This means that we do not disclose verbal or written information without your permission or consent. The only exceptions to this procedure are where there is a legal obligation to disclose (very rare) or when a member of the counselling staff believes the client or other people are at serious risk. In these circumstances the consent to pass on these concerns will be sought before information is disclosed, if at all possible.
Further information on confidentiality .
Will my counsellor discuss my problems with my personal tutor or school?
No. We will only contact your personal tutor or School if you request this. In such circumstances you will be asked to agree the context and extent of such contact.
If I have had counselling does it go on my records?
No. We do not release information for student records. If anyone contacts the Counselling Service to ask whether a particular student is seeing a counsellor, they will not be given this information.
Does the Counselling Service run any groups?
We do run both workshops and groups at various times throughout the year. See our
Groups and workshops web page for further details.
Can I seek advice regarding a friend or colleague?
If you are worried about a friend or a colleague, one of the counsellors can talk with you about the situation. You can
book an advisory appointment or one of the counsellors could speak to you on the telephone. We might not be able to respond immediately but we will always try to speak to you as soon as possible.
What resources/information do you have?
What does the Counselling Service expect from me?
Please keep your appointment time or contact us, in advance, to cancel or rearrange. We would appreciate it if you could check that your mobile phone is switched off during appointments.
We would also ask that you keep the confidentiality of other people who are seen in the Counselling Service or who may be in groups/workshops with you.