University of Portsmouth Student Wellbeing Service

ill sort out which one is most likely to meet your needs. The three strands to the service are:

Wellbeing Advice:

The Student Wellbeing Advisers (SWBs) can work flexibly and informally to help you find ways to stay well and cope with the stresses and strains of life. The SWAs will listen to your concerns and can:

- provide advice and signposting
- offer practical and personal support
- work with you to identify solutions to potential problems
- help you learn ways to manage emotions and build resilience
- encourage and support you to make positive changes in your life

Mental Health Advice:

The Mental Health Practitioners (MHPs) are experienced professionals who can:

- talk to you about the practical impact that mental health / wellbeing difficulties may be having on you as a student
- assess and talk through your psychological support needs and help you address these directly or through referral to other specialists
- discuss self-help, therapy and treatment options, including medication
- offer short-term one-to-one support to help you gain an understanding of your mental health and develop helpful coping strategies
- provide indirect support, such as liaising with other internal and external support agencies and coordinate services offered to ensure they are effective

Counselling:

The service has a number of experienced counsellors who help students with a whole range of problems. Counselling:

- often happens face-to-face but can also work well using email
- consists of a private, purposeful conversation with someone who can listen to you carefully, think about your concerns, help you gain clarity and find your own way forward
- is not so much about giving practical support or advice but more about giving some shared and confidential time and space to think through tricky issues that have been bothering you and that you want to sort out
- is a collaborative process, with you at the heart of it; the counsellor is there to help you understand better what is happening and get into a position where you can make the changes you want
- respects your values and your life choices
- may be a single session for some while others will want to meet more regularly for a little while

Online Digital Support:

As a student here you can access SilverCloud, which is a self-guided Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) based programme for common conditions such as depression and anxiety. The WhatsUp App is a discreet, confidential and anonymous app you can download to create a virtual space to express your thoughts, emotions and concerns. It provides a safe way to raise alerts about yourself to others. To register with us and access SilverCloud and the WhatsUp App, go to:

www.port.ac.uk/studentwellbeing

How To Make An Appointment:

To request a formal appointment with one of our team:

- first complete a registration form and questionnaire, which you can access from the Student Wellbeing Service website
- your form is read by a Student Wellbeing Service team member who works out which strand of the service is most likely to meet your needs
- we will offer you an appointment as soon as one is available at a time you can manage - so please give as much availability as possible on the form

For An Informal Advice Session:

You can turn up without an appointment. These are brief meetings of about 20 minutes, which are on a first-come, first-served basis for wellbeing and mental health issues. Session times are Monday-Friday between 1.00-2.30pm. To book an appointment on the day either;

-phone 023 9284 3157 or
- call in to the Nuffield Centre reception

Courses, Workshop & Event Programme:

Throughout the academic year, the Student Wellbeing Service runs a range of workshops and courses for students. Attending these can be an excellent way of learning new skills and getting help and support with commonly experienced difficulties. Workshops:

Workshops are one-off sessions and are open to all students. Each workshop focuses on a specific topic at an introductory level. Workshops include; Living Like You Mean It, I'll Do It Tomorrow...How To Stop Putting Things Off & Get On With Your Life, Perfectionism Paradox, Sort It Out Now, The Art of Calm, How To Survive & Thrive (5 Ways To Wellbeing) plus many more. Courses:

Courses run over more than one session. As they are more in-depth, and require more commitment, interested students may be asked to have a conversation with the course facilitator to find out more and decide together if a course is suitable. Courses include; Managing Emotions, Mindfulness, Keep Calm & Carry On: Taking The Power Out of Panic, Mood Boost & From Stress To Success. Events:

The Student Wellbeing team host the annual UoP Mental Health & Wellbeing Day. A day of fun and relaxing workshops, information stalls and presentations to raise awareness about student and staff mental health and wellbeing. The event will take place on Thursday 03rd March 2016 in the Student Union 3rd Space. Other Help:

Outside of the University, in and around Portsmouth, there are lots of sources of help and support you can use:

- Samaritans are open 24 hours a day on: 023 9269 1313
- NHS non-emergency line on: 111
- Your GP
- The self-help section on our website recommends many things you can do on your own, either instead of or as well as using the Student Wellbeing Service. PLEASE NOTE:

Inappropriate advertising and posts will be deleted. This page will be monitored Monday - Thursday 8.30am until 5.00pm and Friday 8.30am until 4.00pm. Please note, we are unable to respond to messages. If you require support, please contact the Student Wellbeing Service who will respond to you. T: 023 9284 3466
E: [email protected]
W: www.port.ac.uk/studentwellbeing

The Nuffield Centre, St Michael's Road
Portsmouth, PO1 2ED