The Talking Therapy Service

The Mental Health & Wellbeing Team offer talking therapy support which is accessible for all students across the University of Cumbria.

We offer online, telephone and face-to-face appointments.

Talking therapy is an evidence-based approach for improving mental health and wellbeing. Students refer to the service for many different reasons, whether that be mental, emotional, or interpersonal problems and challenges.

Through working with one of our qualified mental health practitioners, we provide individual tailored support to help you to achieve your therapeutic goals.

What can I expect from the talking therapy service?

Make a referral to the Talking Therapy Service.

Once you have completed the self-referral form, your referral will be reviewed, and a practitioner will be in touch to offer you a therapeutic consultation. Please note that waiting times for appointments vary throughout the year but please be assured that we do our best to offer you an appointment as soon as possible.

We initially operate using a single session therapy model. Each student is initially offered an extended appointment (known as the therapeutic consultation), which is treated as if it is the only session that you will have with the practitioner. This will be a focused session which will identify and work on a priority issue. After the session, a 4-week purposeful pause will take place where you are expected to reflect on the session, digest the learning from the session and make changes based on this learning. Once you have engaged in a 4-week purposeful pause, if required, you can then request further appointments with the same practitioner, and we can offer short-to-medium term therapy.

For more information about single session therapy, watch the short video.

Please note, we are an appointment-based service and do not provide a walk-in clinic.

Confidentiality

Your interactions with the MHWT will generally be confidential.

Your practitioner will keep records of interactions with you, which will be stored securely on the MHWT client record management system. Only your practitioner, and other members of the MHWT have access to this.

It is only in exceptional circumstances that information may be shared elsewhere, usually with your consent, for example, if you need your practitioner to support you for Extenuating Circumstances or if you are at significant risk of harm, or you disclose that someone else may be at risk of harm. In very rare instances the MHWT may have to override consent if the risk of harm is very high or imminent.

If you have any queries about confidentiality, please consult with your practitioner when you first meet with them.

Got a question? Contact us via the Student Enquiry Point.

What are the benefits of seeking talking therapy support?

Sharing a problem with an objective professional can help you to gain a better understanding of yourself and your situation. Often, sharing in a safe and non-judgemental space can feel like a relief and help you to gain clarity.

It is better for difficulties to be addressed sooner rather than later to prevent things from worsening.

It can be empowering to obtain a better understanding of your mental health and to make informed decisions about how to improve your wellbeing.

Learning the skills to cope, manage and maintain positive wellbeing will help you throughout your life, not just whilst you’re at university.