University Counselling Service

Training Course for new Tutors and Directors of StudiesTuesday 29 September 2015

UCS Senior Management

•Head of Service Géraldine Dufour•2 Senior Student Counsellors Hanya Czepkowski– Groups & OutreachLisa Halpern – Individual Counselling & Associates

Today we will cover:

• The range of UCS work• How to refer• Liaison & support for tutors and other staff• Student issues• Words of caution

Who can access counselling?

•All registered undergraduate in residence and graduate students of Cambridge University who are members of a College may use the Service, including students at the Theological Colleges and part-time students.

Who funds counsellingFree service at the point of access for students.

UCS receives incomes from:•The Colleges for student counselling and MHA•The university for admin, building and mindfulness•Cranes benefaction for MHA and psychiatrist consultation.

UCS Team•Established 1969•11 Student Counsellors/CBT therapists •5 Associate Counsellors on placement•2 Mental Health Advisors•1 Mindfulness Practitioner•Visiting psychiatrist (half-day)• Large admin support team

Mental Health Advisors•Students in crisis, serious level of disturbance, suicidal,

very chaotic…• Liaison, advice and referral•Assessment: risk or fitness to study•Can be one-off or ongoing•Recruiting for 2 new posts during Michaelmas

Professional Service•Accredited Counsellors•MHAs registered professional bodies•Quality Assurance•Number of counselling approach in the service•Different areas of expertise•Confidential

BUSY!•Saw over 1500 students last year•Offered ~ 160-220 individual sessions / week during term•Ran ~ 8/10 groups/workshops each week•~ 30 - 70 new students approached us each week in term

seeking counselling

How do we compare?• High demand for counselling and mental health support

(Royal College Psychiatrists Report 2011)• Cambridge specific – we see a higher proportion of

students: 8.5%• Proportionally we see more Graduate students

What help is available at UCS?•Direct students towards best source of help at time:•Accessing student-led support or a mindfulness course•Using selected self-help resources•Attending a guided CBT self-help group at the UCS•Coming to one of our workshops or groups•Attending a consultation with a counsellor, CBT therapist

or mental health advisor

Groups & workshops•One-off workshops

Procrastination, Food and Mood, Self-compassion, Exam Preparation

•Short focused groups▫Assertiveness, Self-esteem, Perfectionism▫ Returning from intermitting

• Longer counselling groups▫For under-graduate and graduate students

Mindfulness•New programme•Mindfulness courses delivered at College Level•Pilot to see if we can improve resilience in students•Parallel research project Michaelmas & Lent 2015

How can you refer a student to the UCS?•Online pre-counselling form•Contact MHAs directly•Can contact just for advice

Myths

•Waiting time•Pre-counselling form•Confidentiality •Weak to see a counsellor?

Different types of issues•Anxiety, depression, relationships, eating, self-harm…•On a continuum•Counselling in HE comparable to that of primary care in

terms of severity (Wallace: 2012)

For staff: Wanting to help is good, right?•Boundaries are important•Pause…is giving more help going to be helpful?•Be alert to patterns • Level of support?•Distressed students affect us• Impact of stress on our own boundaries•Encourage independence•Sign-post to other sources of support.

Sources of information for staff•www.mentalhealth.org.ukFurther information on practical ways to look after your

mental health

•www.counselling.cam.ac.uk/selfhelpFor a range of self help resources including information on

depression, anxiety, self harm and eating disorders

Further training available:•Mental Health: Boundaries and BoomerangsLisa Halpern & Kirsty Wayland through PPD•Supporting PhD students with Mental Health Difficulties Lisa Halpern through PPD

•Colleagues can attend:Introduction to the UCS for New Tutors & Welfare Staff

2015

Counselling Service•2-3 Bene’t Place▫Part of Lensfield Road (across the Snug)

•Open 09.00 – 17.00 Monday - Friday▫Tuesday and Thursday to 19.30

•Websitewww.counselling.cam.ac.uk