The Student Counselling Service is available free of charge to all students

Student Counselling

Student Counselling is available free of charge to all students, full-time, part-time, undergraduate and postgraduate, on Exeter and Cornwall Campuses.

Counselling is offered by members of the Wellbeing Services team who are also fully qualified therapists and accredited by one of the leading professional bodies.

We're here to provide confidential help and support and aim to help you cope more effectively with any personal problems or emotional difficulties that may arise during your time at University. 

To make an enquiry or book an appointment please contact us.

About counselling

What is counselling?

Counselling offers the opportunity to explore personal issues in a private setting with someone who has no other role in your life. Many students find that talking things over with a professionally qualified practitioner can offer a new perspective.

Counselling is a joint process that requires your motivation and active involvement. The counsellor will help you explore your feelings, thoughts and personal experiences in order to make sense of what is happening in your life, and will help you find a way through your difficulties.

Counsellors are trained to be non-judgmental, reflective, and respectful of individual differences. All of the counsellors in Wellbeing Services can offer professional support and expertise on a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties.

What can I talk about?

Any problem, no matter how big or small, can be discussed in counselling. Common concerns for students include academic pressures, panic attacks, problems with concentration, family and relationship difficulties, eating disorders, issues with self-esteem and confidence, depression, anxiety and bereavement. Sometimes there isn’t a specific problem but you may simply want to talk about feeling unhappy or confused. You don’t have to be in crisis or at the end of your tether before you ask for help.

How long does it last?

Some students attend only once and find this is enough. Others may need several sessions or return at different points throughout their academic careers. Every person’s particular situation is unique. Your counsellor will discuss with you what we can offer, given your personal circumstances and the resources available to us.

The counselling we offer is primarily time-limited. Students who need longer-term support may be encouraged to discuss with their GP the possibility of a specialist referral. We can also provide information about community counselling resources, or help you to find a private counsellor or therapist locally, if you prefer.

Is it confidential?

All of the help and support we offer remains confidential within Wellbeing Services. This means we do not disclose verbal or written information about you to others without your consent. Details of your contact with the Service are not recorded on your medical or student records, unless you ask us to do so.

Confidentiality is, however, subject to certain legal constraints. There are also rare occasions when the rule of confidentiality might be waived. For full details of these exceptions, please see our page on confidentiality. This section provides a more detailed statement about our approach to confidentiality.

Record keeping

Counsellors are required to keep written information on clients as part of good professional practice. Basic statistical data is recorded about each contact made. These (mainly electronic) records are for Wellbeing Services staff use only. 

Wellbeing Services keeps all records in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act, 1998. Under the Act, clients have a right of access to records kept about them. If you would like more details of our record keeping procedures, please see confidentiality. 

Is counselling offered by qualified staff?

The counsellors are all professionally qualified and have substantial experience of working with people. The counselling team is committed to maintaining high standards, which is why it subscribes to the Ethical Framework for Good Practice published by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Copies of the framework can be made available by our Reception Team.

Supervision is a professional and ethical requirement for practitioners who work within the BACP Ethical Framework. All counsellors employed in the Service discuss their work anonymously with an external consultant on a regular basis. The Counselling Service supervisors are experienced practitioners who are external to the University and who also work to the BACP Ethical Framework.

The Counselling Service also offers a few placements each year to experienced honorary counsellors and counsellors in training. These individuals are continuing their professional training or acquiring further hours towards accreditation with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).