Our Mental Health Advisors are qualified and registered mental health professionals such as mental health nurses.

We support students with a range of complex mental health difficulties such as mood or eating disorders, psychosis, complex trauma, and significant emotional dysregulation. We aim to support students with long-term mental health conditions to get the best from your university experience, and to help you develop your confidence and independence in managing your mental health.

The support you receive will be dependent on your individual needs and goals and will be agreed with you following your initial assessment.

In your first meeting with an adviser, we’ll explore your needs in more detail. We’ll ask about how your mental health is impacting you at the moment, as well as your previous experiences, your current goals, and what’s helped you in the past. From there, we’ll agree a tailored support plan.

Following this session, we may suggest:

• a referral for more specialist support from NHS services
• a short-term course of therapy
• a series of appointments to help you create safety, coping or relapse prevention plans, and to develop skills to manage overwhelming emotions or distressing symptoms
• a joint meeting with your academic department or NHS care team to look at your support needs
• referral or signposting to other Student Support teams or University departments, such as the Disability Service.

We offer support at all stages of a student’s journey, including pre-arrival, returning from suspense, and transitioning to placement or to life after university.

Our work with the Disability Service

If you have a mental health condition which is long-term or significantly impacts your daily life, you may be eligible for support from the Disability Service. You may still be eligible for support even if your condition fluctuates or is currently well-managed (e.g. by medication). Your eligibility for this support is not a reflection of your chances of recovery; simply an acknowledgement that your condition may create additional challenges for you at times and that you may benefit from extra support to help you manage the impact of this. Disability Advisers can help to anticipate potential study related difficulties and will work with you to suggest adjustments, strategies or practical support to mitigate and reduce the impact on your studies and ongoing mental health.

The Mental Health Advisers work closely with the Disability Service to ensure you have access to the full range of support to help you succeed at university.

How to access our service

If you think you might benefit from meeting with an adviser, you’ll need to arrange an appointment with the Wellbeing Service. This is your first step to accessing the right support for you.

Courses and workshops

Working with the University’s therapists, we also offer a range of courses and one-off workshops to help you manage and overcome mental health difficulties and develop your emotional wellbeing.

You’ll be introduced to new ideas that can help you change how you approach your problems, and learn new skills for building resilience and wellbeing. We aim to help you find the right tools and support to overcome whatever is holding you back so you can get on with doing what matters to you.

Other help on offer

The University offers art, gardening and exercise programmes to help you improve your mental health. You can also access Wellbeing support.