Student Wellbeing Service

The Student Wellbeing Service is the hub for learning, advice and support for your emotional wellbeing and mental health. You can get free, confidential help for a wide range of personal and emotional concerns.

Check out our recommended self-help resources or course, workshop and events programme. Or you can access the support and guidance from our friendly team of wellbeing advisers, counsellors and mental health advisers in a variety of ways:

Get support

Anonymous advice via WhatsUp app

Download our WhatsUp app for wellbeing support at your fingertips. You can chat via anonymous text messaging with Student Wellbeing Service practitioners whenever you want (we reply during office hours), use the mood-rating and diary section to monitor your wellbeing, and set the notifications to receive daily inspiring wellbeing messages.

You can also use the SOS Call and text buttons to connect you to external services that offer you 24/7 support.

Speak with a friendly Wellbeing Practitioner

Come in for an in-person appointment, or you can request a zoom or phone meeting if you prefer. If meeting by zoom or phone, make sure you have a private space where you can speak confidentially.

Register for help from the service

To register for one-to-one help from the University's Student Wellbeing Service:

Provide your name, student ID, contact details and preferences, and availability in the short registration form from the link below.
We will then send you a secure email link to a confidential online Wellbeing First Steps form. This allows you to tell us a bit more about yourself and about the issues worrying you, so you don't have to wait until we can offer you a full appointment.
The questions on the form help you think things through, and the process of filling it in is designed to be helpful in itself. You will also be able to tell us more about your preferences for meeting and your availability for appointments.
When we receive your completed First Steps document a practitioner from the Wellbeing Service will read it carefully and then allocate the most appropriate further support quickly and efficiently.
You will hear back from us the next working day after you submit the First Steps.

Welcome to the Student Wellbeing Service

Get free, confidential help

Mark Harold, Wellbeing Adviser: We are the Student Wellbeing Service.

Michelle Dadachanjii, Counsellor: As a student at the University of Portsmouth, we want you to fulfil your potential and have a life-changing student experience. At the heart of this is the personalised package of support that we offer with a focus on wellbeing and resilience that helps you to meet your academic goals.

The Student Wellbeing Service is the hub for learning, advice and support for your emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Steve Daly, Wellbeing Adviser: If you are new to university life, then you may be facing a number of life challenges. Transitioning from home to a new life, financial independence, new friendships and relationships, living independently and, of course, new academic challenges and expectations.

For all students, each level of university learning comes with new challenges and different kinds of academic stress and pressure. And this year, there is the new blended and connected approach to learning with all the changes and challenges due to the global pandemic.

When you're facing challenges, it is likely you will find yourself feeling stressed, worried, unhappy or anxious at times. This does not mean there is something wrong with you. Learning to cope with these challenges constructively provides opportunities for growth and personal development. The knowledge and tools you will develop are life skills that you can take forward and use long after graduation.

But if you do start to struggle at any point, please do come see us straight away.

Mike Pink, Mental Health Adviser: The Student Wellbeing Service is a team of practitioners with a broad range of experience, expertise and skills. This allows us to provide a comprehensive package of support, including good links with the NHS and other specialist support services. We have mental health advisers, counsellors and wellbeing advisers who offer one-to-one support. Everything is set up so you can safely come in and see us for these*, or you can book a phone or video call instead. Alternatively, you can text chat anonymously with our wellbeing advisers via our WhatsUp app.
(* Note that routine in-person appointments may be suspended during lockdowns, but our reception will remain open or you can call to find out more about the best way to seek support.)

Mark Harold, Wellbeing Adviser: When you register for support with us, we will work with you to plan a personalised support pathway. This may include one or more events from our courses and workshops programme, where you can learn positive wellbeing skills in relaxed and friendly online sessions. This includes our popular Be Your Own Best Friend workshop and our Compassionate Mind course. You can browse an extensive range of self-help information with our online resources.

Ruth Geddes, Senior Wellbeing Adviser: We run a weekly wellbeing cafe. The cafe has transferred well to a virtual format, and we will be looking to arrange some safe in-person activities as the academic year gets underway. We also support students who have taken the Welcome Ambassador pledge and are following the University's student leadership pathway. The Welcome Ambassador scheme is a great way of easing the transition into Uni life by connecting with other students. Check out the Welcome Ambassador Facebook page for more details.

Michelle Dadachanji, Counsellor: So, as you can see, there are a range of different options designed to give you the choice of how you may wish to use our service. For more detailed information about everything that we provide and how to access the service, please visit our website and remember, if you think you need support, please come and see us.

Book an informal advice session

You don’t need to do the full First Steps process to book a one-off advice session or a place on a course or workshop. Check the Workshops and Events page for details of the many informative sessions we provide on common student issues. Advice sessions are brief meetings of about 20 minutes, available daily. They are bookable on the day, on a first-come-first-served basis.

To find out session times and to make a booking for an advice session or workshop, drop in to the reception or phone us:

Student Wellbeing Service
The Bateson Centre,
The Mary Rose St,
Portsmouth,
PO1 2BL

Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 3466

Terms of service for using the Student Wellbeing Service

By registering with the Student Wellbeing Service, you agree to the terms and conditions. Please read the short privacy and consent page which explains our confidentiality system and how your information is kept secure.

Please also note the safety measures for in-person meetings: students are required to wear face coverings in all areas of the Student Wellbeing Service, including during in-person meetings, and are requested to use hand sanitiser before entering the Service and/or the meeting room. Meetings take place in well-ventilated rooms so students are advised to wear warm clothing where relevant.

Growing your wellbeing mindset

Student life has plenty of challenges and your mindset towards these challenges is more important for your success than anything else you do. We offer lots of options to be there alongside you as you grow your wellbeing mindset.

You can drop in weekly at our Wellbeing Café, come along to our annual Feel Good Fest, or access a range of online learning and support options when you need them. Browse our other web pages to learn more about these options and our unique Learning Well philosophy, including ways we support student leadership.