Counselling and Mental Health Service

Our one-to-one counselling programme provides a safe space to talk openly and work through personal challenges. You’ll be offered an appointment at the same time each week, as consistency is key to building trust and making meaningful progress.

You’ll be matched with one of our experienced counsellors, who will work with you throughout your sessions, helping you explore both current concerns and any past experiences that may be influencing them.

We offers single-session counselling to support students with immediate concerns or challenges. This type of counselling is a time-limited, focused session with a qualified counsellor, designed to help you explore your feelings, clarify your thoughts, and identify practical strategies to manage your situation.

Single-session counselling is particularly suited to students who may not wish to commit to ongoing counselling but still want professional guidance and support. During the session, you can discuss personal, academic, or social issues, and the counsellor will work with you to develop coping strategies, problem-solving approaches, and emotional support tailored to your needs. While it is just one session, many students find it helpful in gaining clarity, relief, and confidence in taking next steps.

At the University of Derby, we are dedicated to advancing equity and diversity through fostering an inclusive environment. We strive to create a sense of belonging, empowering everyone to bring their authentic selves to our university community.

The Counselling and Mental Health Service is deeply committed to inclusivity and understanding the diverse mental health challenges faced by our students. Recognising the unique experiences shaped by discrimination and diversity, our team engages in regular training to enhance our awareness and address unconscious bias effectively.

We work closely with our colleagues in the Disability Support team to ensure our services are fully accessible to all students, including those with neurodiversity. Guided by our responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010), we are dedicated to making reasonable adjustments to guarantee equal access to our support services.

We understand that some individuals may feel more at ease connecting with a practitioner who shares a specific background or identity. If it would enhance your comfort, we encourage you to request a counsellor based on factors such as ethnicity or gender. Please note, while we will make every effort to fulfil your requests, there may be occasions when this is not possible. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility in such cases.

By embracing these commitments, we aim to provide a supportive, inclusive, and equitable environment for all members of our community.

• At Derby, we prioritise your confidentiality when you access our services and are committed to being open and transparent about how we operate. Our service is fully confidential and operates independently from academic assessment procedures. No information will be shared with your academics unless you specifically request it.
• To provide a professional and effective service, we maintain records in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018. These records, including your MHP's or counsellor’s notes, are kept strictly confidential within the service. The only exception to this is in rare cases where there is a legal obligation to disclose information.
• Occasionally, to ensure you receive the best support possible, we may share relevant information with other members of the Student Support Services team. Beyond this, no information will be shared outside of the Student Support Services team without your explicit consent, except in exceptional circumstances where there is a serious risk to your safety or the safety of others;
• You have the right to access your MHP or counselling records, which will be securely destroyed seven years after your last contact with the service.
• We are here to support you with integrity and care, ensuring that your confidentiality is always respected. Our service is committed to upholding the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy. To ensure your confidentiality, your practitioner will not acknowledge you outside of the counselling sessions, unless you initiate contact. This means you don't need to worry about seeing them around campus or in Derby.

By embracing these commitments, we aim to provide a supportive, inclusive, and equitable environment for all members of our community.

"My counsellor was extremely good in listening to my issues and offered such sound advice. I felt as if I went from a very low place to a good place in a short amount of time. I couldn’t applaud them enough and I felt a great sense of comfortableness and never judged. It was nice to talk to someone who gave such empathy and I can't thank them enough”.

"The techniques and methods employed made it significantly easier for me to open up about myself. Rather than being confronted with direct questions, I was encouraged to share at my own pace, which allowed me to feel more at ease. This approach created a safe and non-intrusive environment, making it possible for me to discuss parts of my life and aspects of myself that I had previously found difficult to express. This supportive framework helped me overcome my initial hesitations and gradually increased my comfort in sharing sensitive experiences."

“My counsellor was helpful and supportive when I was going through a difficult time with my anxiety and panic attacks. They listened to what I was going through and suggested a lot of helpful exercises to help me improve on my mental heath issues. They were very clear and easy to speak to and I felt comfortable explaining my issues. They helped me to get back to my old self by helping me to boost my confidence on talking to others and suggesting good tips on not overthinking everything. I would recommend my counsellor to talk to, if anyone is going through a hard experience as I did”

"My counsellor was very lovely and patient throughout our sessions. They listened and made sure it was a safe place where I could share my thoughts and not be judged for it. It helped having a friendly atmosphere because although it was a professional relationship, it felt like I was talking to a friend at times, and that really helped me personally to open up more. I appreciate the times where I emailed my counsellor in distress and they replied quickly, and if I hadn’t gotten back to them, they would follow up just to check if I was okay."

"It was one of the best decisions I had ever made, it helped me to confront my past traumas effectively and in a way that I could best understand. The process gave me the space and the tools I desperately needed in order to understand my issues and how to process them. My counsellor was amazing at helping me and they really helped me to get myself back together so I can continue doing the things I like. I gave them 10s across the board because that’s truly my opinion and is fully honest in my quality feedback"

"This is a great service that the university offers, I have never had any therapy like this before, I doubted how helpful they can be until I used the service myself. Sometimes being a mature student, studying and working at the same time can be very chaotic, just having that safe space to talk releases the pressure."

"I wanted to note that my practitioner was exceptional throughout this process – they did not pressure me and gave me the time to process and find my words when I was at a loss for words. They conducted the session based on what I wanted to talk about, and we built around that, with her providing accurate and important insights for me to get the best out of the sessions."

"This service has helped me immensely. My counsellor actively listened and I felt comfortable throughout. Their professional, polite manner built a calm and trusting atmosphere. They offered practical strategies that brought me peace, along with solutions I can use well into the future. They also provided useful resources that I’m confident will support me moving forward."