March 29, 2017, by Emma
5 Mental Health Services you can access at Uni
It’s a stressful time of year for us all, with deadlines looming and exams not so far behind. But regardless of whether you’re totally on top of everything, or waking up in a cold sweat every day at 5am stressing about all the work you have to do, mental health problems can affect us all. Sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start or what kind of services are readily available if you’re struggling, so I’ve put together a list of 5 different types of services you can access at uni!
Cripps health centre
I’ll start with the most obvious one. Seeing your GP can be daunting and it can sometimes feel like a big step even admitting you might have a problem that warrants a trip to the doctor. However mental health problems can have just as much of an effect as physical ones, and the GP can often be a first point of call to determine what services might be available and what routes you might want to go down.
The University Counselling Service
If you want to skip the trip the GP and go straight to services that are specifically trained to help with mental health problems, try the university counselling service. The service is entirely free and you can book an appointment yourself, you don’t have to be referred by your tutor or a doctor! The service usually involves an initial 30-50 minute counselling session where you can discuss your situation and collaboratively work together to decide on your next steps, which may include more counselling sessions.
Nightline is a free, 24 hour listening service that allows you to call them up and talk about any difficulties you might be facing. Be aware that they are not trained mental health professionals and so will not be able to give you any advice about your situation, but if you need a friendly ear to articulate your problems to, Nightline’s always available!
Harmless is not a university run service but is instead a user-led mental health organisation based in Nottinghamshire. They primarily provide services for those suffering with self harm and suicidal thoughts and aim to offer free non-judgemental help and advice for those suffering with these problems.
Student Minds is a national student mental health charity that runs in universities across the country, including Nottingham. They provide a range of services ranging from self harm support workshops to yoga sessions to longer term counselling so can be useful whether you just need a little mental health top up or are wanting some more long term support!
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