About Counselling

How we work

Counselling is a process which offers you the opportunity to explore any issues which are causing you concern or distress. These matters can be emotional or social or they might be connected to your work or studies.

Sometimes the concern can be about an issue which has bothered you for some time; sometimes it can be the result of a recent event or crisis. Concerns like these can:

• Result in uncomfortable feelings such as anxiety, depression, unhappiness or fear
• Cause you stress, perhaps disrupting your normal eating or sleeping patterns
• Prevent you from participating fully in life at University

Counselling can create time and space to explore these issues in a confidential setting with a trained Counsellor who is not directly involved. This may give you a chance to find a new perspective on your problem and often to become more accepting of yourself in the process.

Contact the University Counselling Service for an appointment:

Tel: +44 (0) 1224 27 2139
Email: counselling@abdn.ac.uk

Exploratory Session

When you get in touch to arrange an appointment you will be offered an initial half an hour exploratory session with a Counsellor. The aim of this session is:

• To hear about what brings you to the Counselling Service.
• To decide whether this is the best service for you and if it is not, to give you information about other resources which may be more appropriate.
• To tell you more about counselling and this service and to explore what you need and what we can offer. Some people find that they need just a few sessions; others find that they need longer. Sometimes people uncover issues in the process of counselling which take longer to deal with. Clients who use this service usually have a 50 minute appointment on a regular basis. We will work with you to reach an agreement about what would be best for you, within the bounds of our resources.

If you decide after the Exploratory session that you would like to try ongoing Counselling, the Counsellor will add your name to the waiting list and our Secretary will contact you once a counselling slot becomes available. If you wish to see the same Counsellor who you saw for the Exploratory session you can specify this at the time. Sometimes this may mean that you have to wait longer for counselling if the Counsellor does not currently have any spaces.

We prioritise our waiting list in terms of urgency which means that some people who feel that their situation is important but manageable may have to wait longer for ongoing counselling. Although we make every effort to offer appointments to all those requesting one as soon as we can, at times we have a considerable waiting list. If your situation changes and becomes more urgent while you are waiting, please get in touch again and we can offer you a one-off Emergency appointment.

Emergencies

If you consider your circumstances to be urgent in that your situation would deteriorate if you did not have the opportunity to speak to someone immediately or that you would no longer be able to cope, please let us know. We have several one-off emergency appointments every week for those in crisis.

For further information on our Counselling Service, please view or download our leaflet:

• What happens when you see a counsellor

How much will it cost?

The service is free to all students and members of staff.

Light Box

The Counselling Service has a 'Light Box' available for use. A Light Box is a portable box that emits a powerful diffuse light. It has been found that people suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) experience mood changes during the winter months. When there are reduced daylight hours, they can benefit from regular exposure to the Light Box during this period. The Light Box is available to students and staff of the University who feel that exposure to additional light during the winter months could improve their well being. If you would like to use the Light Box but are not a client we ask that you meet with a Counsellor first to discuss issues relevant to its use. It is possible to book sessions for the Light Box by contacting us:

Tel: +44 (0) 1224 27 2139
Email: counselling@abdn.ac.uk

Library (Self-Help Books)

The Counselling Service has an extensive collection of self-help books which can be borrowed by clients.

We ask for a deposit of £5 per book, returnable when the book is brought back. Books can be borrowed for up to one month.

• A list of our books can be viewed here

Please note - The library books listed and on our shelves do not always reflect the beliefs and values of UCS staff however they may still be of interest and help.

Relaxation CDs and Stress Pack

We have CDs available at the Counselling Service. The CD is £1.25. These are useful for relaxing before exams and coping with stress. The CD is available for downloading in MP3 format and a Stress Pack is also available at no charge to download here.