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Welcome to the Counselling and Mental Health Team

We are committed to supporting students experiencing emotional or psychological problems, so that they can gain maximum benefit from their university experience and develop their potential to the full. 

The C&MH Team consists of two services, the Student Counselling Service and the Student Mental Health Advisory Service. Both Services are staffed by professionally trained practitioners who are experienced in helping and supporting people from many backgrounds and cultures, and with a wide range of personal and life issues.

Both Services are free to students. 

The Student Counselling Service

There are four counsellors: Clare Nield, Rod London, Patti Wallace and Magda Powell. Other counsellors may provide additional sessions during busy periods. They can be contacted by phone on 01905 85 5417, e-mail counselling@worc.ac.uk or by leaving a note in the post-box outside room WB79.

People come to counselling to talk about whatever is of concern to them in their lives, and which may be preventing them from being how they want to be. In normal circumstances, anything that is said in counselling is confidential, and nothing will be revealed to anyone outside the Service without your permission. It is very rare that breaking confidentiality is considered. Such circumstances would involve a potentially serious risk of harm to yourself or others. But even in such circumstances, your counsellor would normally try to speak with you first before speaking to anyone else. The counsellors provide further information about this policy when you make an appointment and at the start of your first session. Please ask if you have any questions or concerns about confidentiality. 

The University of Worcester Student Counselling Service is an Accredited Service of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, and as such adheres to the standards and ethics of the BACP as laid out in their Ethical Framework for Good Practice. 

There is often a short waiting list for counselling so it is really helpful if, having made an appointment, you keep it or contact the team as soon as possible to cancel so it can be offered to another student.

The Mental Health Advisory Service

There are two Mental Health Advisors: Angie Harding and Carol Bottomley who are both on the NMC Register. They can be contacted by phone 01905 85 5447, email - mentalhealth@worc.ac.uk or by going to their office (WB 80) and by leaving a note in the post-box outside room WB79.

The Mental Health Advisors are there to support you:

• If you have a pre- diagnosed psychiatric condition. 
• If you do not have any diagnosed condition but are experiencing emotional or psychological difficulties which significantly affect your ability to manage your everyday life. 
• If changes that you can’t make sense of start having an impact on your life

There are many reasons why people experience psychological difficulties. These are some:

• Reaction to painful events. 
• Feeling under pressure or stress related to University life.
• Substance misuse. 
• Lack of sleep. 
• Significant changes to your diet. 
• Having a physical illness.
• Significant changes to your life-style. 

The Mental Health Advisors will help and support you in managing your difficulties.
Normally anything that is said in a session with a Mental Health Advisor is kept confidential, and nothing will be disclosed to anyone outside of the service without consent by you. A confidence would not be broken unless it was felt that you were a risk to yourself or others. The Mental Health Advisors will discuss this with you further at your first session.