Delivered in Partnership with Inspire
Psychological Therapies and Counselling Support
The Psychological Therapies and Counselling Service is run in partnership with Inspire, a local counselling organisation. Working with Inspire gives Queen's students access to a range of different clinical skills and helps meet demand for counselling at particularly busy times of the year.
Counsellors can work with you on a range of issues, aimed at helping you to identify and manage issues affecting your ability to progress with your studies. Student counselling is provided on a short-term, brief solution focused model, normally between 4 - 6 sessions. The service is not a substitute for longer term psychological or therapeutic support which should be accessed through your GP and to which your counsellor may refer you.
Counselling staff are all trained, experienced, and extremely committed to the work they do. You will be gently challenged to face your problems, to set goals on how to achieve solutions to your problems and actively work towards those goals. Please use details below to book a counselling appointment directly with Inspire. Counselling is free to all registered students at Queen's.
Inspire 24/7 Student Helpline
All students at the University can contact Inspire's Student Helpline, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The number is:
0808 800 0016 (24hr Freephone)
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How to Make a Counselling Appointment
You can make an appointment in any one of the following ways:
Email: qubstudents@inspirewellbeing.org
Tel: 0808 800 0016 (24hr Freephone)
Students should be able to get an appointment with the service within 5 working days. If you are experiencing difficulties getting an appointment please let the Student Wellbeing Service know by emailing studentwellbeing@qub.ac.uk
If you are a member of staff and have a general query about counselling or would like advice on supporting students please call the Student Wellbeing Service on 028 9097 2893 to speak to a member of the Student Wellbeing Service team or visit the staff section of our website.
- Availability of Appointments
Our capacity to deliver counselling appointments can be limited, which means that we try to schedule an initial conversation as quickly as possible, and then schedule future appointments on the basis of clinical need. You may need to wait for a session, particularly at peak times. After speaking to a counsellor or a Wellbeing Adviser at the University, you may also be made aware of the wider range of support options, counselling is only one of a number of options which students access and find helpful.
We also ask that you be considerate to other students, and contact Inspire at least 24 hours before your appointment if you know you will not be able to make it. Unexpected situations come up which do not always make notice possible, but more notice allows the session to be used by someone else.
- Cancellation of Appointments
If you have to cancel your appointment, please contact Inspire on 0808 800 0016 (Monday - Friday, 9.00am - 5.00pm) at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment. If cancellation is within 24 hours of your appointment time (during the working week), the University will be charged for the session and it may be taken from your entitlement. Repeated failure to provide sufficient notice may affect the number of session of counselling available to you. If 2 appointments are missed or cancelled we may need to allocate the time slot to another student who may be in need.
- How long does a counselling session last
Counselling sessions usually last 50 minutes, and are available from 9.00am - 5.00pm, Monday - Friday. Your counsellor will discuss your options with you and, where appropriate make you aware of help you to access other types of support, for example through the Students’ Union, the Student Wellbeing Service, or other services in the One Elmwood Student Centre. For longer term support needs, students are encouraged to speak to your GP to access NHS support.
- Complaints Procedure
We aim to provide you with the highest quality of service and work closely with our counsellors to ensure that they provide a professional service. If you have any concerns about your counselling or counsellor, and feel unable to resolve them directly, please contact the Student Wellbeing Service: studentwellbeing@qub.ac.uk