Counselling services
Meet our Counsellors
The counselling service is made up of 1 full-time counsellor Claire Nelson (Monday-Friday) and 1 part-time counsellor Annie Garrigan (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). All are registered members of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and adhere to their ethical framework.
To self-refer, or to find out more, please contact us counselling@perth.uhi.ac.uk
Paula Neillie
Placement Counsellor
Louise Reposo
Placement Counsellor
“Counselling has helped in developing an understanding and acceptance of recovery not being linear. It has encouraged greater reflection, and it has allowed me to speak about things I would not mention to others”.
“Counselling has helped me gain a better understanding of my thoughts and how I can effectively counter negative thoughts to feel better about myself. It also helped me gain more respect for myself and it helped me push myself to improve”.
What is counselling?
What is counselling?
Counselling offers you a safe caring, supportive and non-judgemental space where you can discuss and explore your thoughts and feelings about any issue which concerns you. This might include issues of loss, bereavement, trauma, stress, self-harm, anxiety, academic issues, depression, sexual/physical/emotional abuse, bullying, drinking, drugs, sexuality, loneliness, relationship difficulties and harassment. We can also focus on areas such as personal development and building upon your life skills so that you can use them to the best of your ability. It is about listening to you and helping you find the way forward you want for yourself, whatever challenges or difficulties you are experiencing.
Why should I consider Counselling?
Why should I consider Counselling?
UHI Perth offers a free confidential face-to-face or online counselling service to all UHI Perth students. Sometimes it can be helpful to talk things over with a professional counsellor, rather than friends and family.
Counselling can help you to…
- Regain a sense of control and pleasure in life.
- Find solutions to life’s problems.
- Develop a better understanding of other people’s points of view.
- Make sense of things.
- Understand yourself and your problems better.
- Resolve complicated feelings or find ways to live with them.
- Recognise unhelpful patterns in the way you think or act and find ways to change them (if you want to).
- Explore the way you’re thinking or feeling further.
Making an Appointment
Making an Appointment
If you would like to explore counselling further, please call in person to the Student Support Hub, attend a Counsellors Information Session or email: counselling@perth.uhi.ac.uk. We will email you in the first instance to your college email with an application for counselling. You can either choose to fill this in on your own and send it back to us, or you can request an appointment with one of our counsellors who can assist you with completing you application.
Once we have received your completed application and it has been reviewed, the counselling service will be in touch when they are able to offer you counselling sessions. If there is a current waiting list, you will be notified of this and be given some alternative support options until you are able to be allocated to a counsellor.
Sessions
Sessions
You have the option of accessing a One-at-a-Time session, where you meet with a counsellor for a single session, with the option of attending further sessions if required or you can access a block of 6 sessions. Each session lasts 50 minutes.
Placement
Placement
UHI Perth Counselling Service is a Placement Provider for trainee counsellors.
We offer positions for trainees to develop their skills and knowledge and learn how to integrate the theory into practice and gain their client hours and gain experience as a counsellor.
We offer mentorship to support each trainee to grow, develop and build confidence. We offer placements for face to face and online sessions.
Please note that we are not currently taking on additional placement counsellors. We will update this should this change.
“I was able to speak openly and share without judgement, and I had help to realise and see clearly how my past affects my present. The counsellor created a friendly atmosphere, without pressure, reflected on my shared information for me to better understand and gave me suitable information to read on paper and online to support my practical outside of the sessions. I built self-awareness over the time”.
“Improved my self-compassion development. Taking small steps first then go into bigger steps when challenges occur”.
Bookable Appointments
Bookable Appointments
Application Assistance Session
If you need some assistance completing a counselling application form, please book an appointment with a counsellor to help you.
What we expect from you
What we expect from you
We expect you to make a serious commitment to counselling, arriving on time for your appointment and giving us as much as possible notice if you are not able to attend. If you have any questions for your counsellor we encourage you to discuss these and so you can get the most out of your sessions. Counselling can be hard work, you may be discussing your feelings and emotions and we realise that for some people this is not what they are used to. We want you to know your counsellor will be with you every step of the way and we acknowledge your journey.
Crisis Support
Crisis Support
If you are having a mental health crisis right now, find numbers you can call for help.
Samaritans
Samaritans provide confidential, non-judgemental support – 24 hour service. Call: 116 123
The Neuk
We are a local service specifically designed to support people in crisis through a "one stop shop".
Call: 01738 718070 Email: support@theneuk.org
SHOUT
Do you need help now? This crisis messenger text service provides free, 24/7 crisis support across the UK. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and need support, you can text SHOUT to 85258.
Breathing Space
Breathing Space is a free, confidential phone service for anyone experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety. Call: 0800 83 85 87
mind
Mind provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Mind campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
SAMH
Around since 1923, SAMH is Scotland’s national mental health charity.
UHI Online Counselling Service
UHI Online Counselling Service
The University of the Highlands and Islands also offers an online counselling service, find out more about this service.
Spectrum.Life
Spectrum.Life
Your free confidential service providing support for concerns big or small.
We provide guidance and support for issues such as:
- Addiction
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Grief
- LGBTQ+
- Relationships
Call and see how we can help. UK Freephone: 0800 0318 227
Access your Wellbeing Portal here.
Use the org code: uhiwell