Counselling
and Mental
Health Service

• Offer immediate mental health issues and practical support, with up to 3 sessions, each lasting 30 minutes
• Provide advice and coping strategies for current challenges
• Manage immediate concerns, develop coping mechanisms, and improve day-to-day functioning.
• Focus on current symptoms, stress management, and emotional challenges.

• Help address deeper emotional issues, offering up to 8 sessions, each lasting 50 minutes
• Explore past experiences, personal histories, and the underlying causes of emotional distress
• Help you to understand and process past experiences affecting current well-being
• Gain insight into past issues and develop healthier emotional coping strategies

• Undertake assessments in relation to the physiological, social and emotional factors that may be impacting you
• Provide practical advice and support to students experiencing mental health difficulties
• Providing up to three one-to-one meetings develop self-management and day-to-day life management skills 

If you are referred to one of our Mental Health Practitioners, they will contact you up to three times to arrange an appointment. They will send over a Student Agreement within their first contact, so that you can read through and agree upon a way of working together.  

Sessions will last up to 30 minutes, you are offered up to three sessions in total, and these can be face-to-face or remote (via team’s or telephone). The content of the sessions and support offered will depend on your individual needs and will be discussed with you in detail upon the initial meeting. 

Our Mental Health Practitioners are trained professionals, all of whom have counselling backgrounds and are registered members of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).  

We are a short-term, brief intervention University Counselling Service, offering students up to eight sessions facilitating a safe and confidential therapeutic space for students. We aim to provide accessible support and offer one-to-one counselling in person, by video (via Microsoft Teams) or telephone. 

You'll work with your counsellor to identify achievable goals. This work will be carried out in a practical and pragmatic way to help find a solution to the issues that are impacting your wellbeing as quickly as possible. The time can be effectively used to deepen your understanding of what's happening, develop strategies to resolve a difficult situation and practice new ways of responding. 

At the University of Derby, we are dedicated to advancing equity and diversity through fostering an inclusive environment. We strive to create a sense of belonging, empowering everyone to bring their authentic selves to our university community.

The Counselling and Mental Health Service is deeply committed to inclusivity and understanding the diverse mental health challenges faced by our students. Recognising the unique experiences shaped by discrimination and diversity, our team engages in regular training to enhance our awareness and address unconscious bias effectively.

We work closely with our colleagues in the Disability Team to ensure our services are fully accessible to all students, including those with neurodiversity. Guided by our responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010), we are dedicated to making reasonable adjustments to guarantee equal access to our support services.

We understand that some individuals may feel more at ease connecting with a practitioner who shares a specific background or identity. If it would enhance your comfort, we encourage you to request a counsellor based on factors such as ethnicity or gender. Please note, while we will make every effort to fulfil your requests, there may be occasions when this is not possible. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility in such cases.

By embracing these commitments, we aim to provide a supportive, inclusive, and equitable environment for all members of our community.

“My counsellor was extremely good in listening to my issues and offered such sound advice. I felt as if I went from a very low place to a good place in a short amount of time. I couldn’t applaud her enough and I felt a great sense of comfortableness and never judged. It was nice to talk to someone who gave such empathy and I cant thank her enough” 

“The techniques and methods employed made it significantly easier for me to open up about myself. Rather than being confronted with direct questions, I was encouraged to share at my own pace, which allowed me to feel more at ease. This approach created a safe and non-intrusive environment, making it possible for me to discuss parts of my life and aspects of myself that I had previously found difficult to express. This supportive framework helped me overcome my initial hesitations and gradually increased my comfort in sharing sensitive experiences.” 

 “I’ve had many prior experiences of therapy that have been like sticking plasters for my overall mental health.  Working with Amelia was different.  She had knowledge of my neurodivergence and could point out my ND thinking.  It was incredibly helpful to reframe things and realise that I had expectations that were not going to be met.  I made more progress with Amelia than with any other practitioner in the past.  Thank you.” 

“Chris Watson was helpful and supportive when I was going through a difficult time with my anxiety and panic attacks. He listened to what I was going through and suggested a lot of helpful exercises to help me improve on my mental heath issues. he was very clear and easy to speak to him and I felt comfortable explaining my issues. He helped me to get back to my old self by helping me to boost my confidence on talking to others and suggesting good tips on not overthinking everything. I would recommend Chris to talk to, if anyone is going through a hard experience as I did” 

“Marc is an incredible therapist who listens and respects me and my personal journey. He makes me feel comfortable every session and makes any space feel welcome. I’ve had an exquisite time with him and thank him for opening my eyes to underlying issues and stressors in my personal life” 

“The whole experience with Jasmin from day one has been wonderful. I have had counselling before and never have I been able to reflect and understand why I think and do the things I do, particularly with my anxiety. Jasmin gave me tools to help me in certain situations and it gave me clarity on why I sometimes think the way I do. Jasmin always says I’m the one doing the work, which I am but Jasmin gave me the tools. I just want to Jasmin is amazing and I can’t thank her enough for her time, compassion and understanding.” 

“Anika was very lovely and patient throughout our sessions. She listened and made sure it was a safe place where I could share my thoughts and not be judged for it. It helped having a friendly atmosphere because although it was a professional relationship, it felt like I was talking to a friend at times, and that really helped me personally to open up more. I appreciate the times where I emailed Anika in distress and she replied quickly, and if I hadn’t gotten back to her, she’d follow up just to check if I was okay."

"It was one of the best decisions I had ever made, it helped me to confront my past traumas effectively and in a way that I could best understand . The process gave me the space and the tools I desperately needed in order to understand my issues and how to process them. Molly was amazing at helping me and she really helped me to get myself back together so I can continue doing the things I like. I gave her 10s across the board because that’s truly my opinion and is fully honest in my quality feedback"

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Stress
• Sleep
• Low Self-Esteem
• Substance Use
• Eating Disorders
• Self Harm
• Suicidal Ideation