Support groups

Our support groups offer a chance to share and learn from others in similar situations to you. Our current groups are:

• Bereavement support group
• TransMission
• Living and learning well with neurodivergence
• Living and learning well with autism

Bereavement support group

Our in-person bereavement support group is for students who have experienced the loss of a loved one whether recent or past. We understand that everyone has their own unique experience of grief, and we also know that sharing our stories and getting support from others who have also been bereaved can be really helpful.

We hope by facilitating this group, you can get together in a confidential and safe space to share stories, thoughts and feelings and be in a supportive space where people just 'get it'.

When

The Bereavement support group runs fortnightly on Tuesdays 11.00am - 12.00pm (term-time only).

Where

Chaplaincy Lounge (2nd Floor)
Chaplaincy Centre & Prayer Rooms
St Pauls Road
Portsmouth
PO5 4AQ

Sign up here. If you would like more information or to have an informal chat about this group, email wellbeing-admin@port.ac.uk and our admin team will connect you with the practitioner running this group.

TransMission

TransMission is a supportive and relaxed space for transgender, non-binary, gender questioning and gender variant students to socialise together, make new friends and network. This group runs in-person.

When

Second Wednesday of the month, 12.00pm to 1.30pm (term-time only)

Book

Please register your interest here and we will email you with dates, times, and the venue. If you would like more information or to have an informal chat about this group, email wellbeing-admin@port.ac.uk and our admin team will connect you with the practitioner running this group.

Living and learning well with neurodivergence

This is a weekly in-person group meeting Wednesdays term-time, 10.00am to 11.00am, in the Chaplaincy lounge. This is on the second floor of the Chaplaincy Centre & Prayer Rooms, St Pauls Road, Southsea, PO5 4AQ. The chaplaincy building has a sign above the entrance. 

How to book

Email wellbeing-admin@port.ac.uk or ring 023 9284 3466. You will need to register with the Wellbeing Service so you can meet with a practitioner one-to-one and learn more about the group before joining. We look forward to hearing from you!

Living and learning well with autism

This is a weekly in-person group meeting Wednesdays term-time, 2.00pm to 3.00pm, in the Chaplaincy lounge. This is on the second floor of the Chaplaincy Centre & Prayer Rooms, St Pauls Road, Southsea, PO5 4AQ. The chaplaincy building has a sign above the entrance. 

How to book

Email wellbeing-admin@port.ac.uk or ring 023 9284 3466. You will need to register with the Wellbeing Service so you can meet with a practitioner one-to-one and learn more about the group before joining. We look forward to hearing from you!

Frequently Asked Questions

What will happen in this group?

The session content is student-led enabling the group to respond to different needs throughout the year. We know you're busy, so you don't have to come every week but are welcome to. You can choose whether you would like to just sit and listen or join in with the conversation. We will only ask general questions, unless we are clarifying something and there is no expectation for you to answer.

The group is about being able to be yourself and doing what is comfortable for you. 

What sort of things does the group cover?

The group is student-led and topics and their order are decided by the group. Topics can vary but can include skills for:

• Regulating emotions (including anxiety, low mood and anger)
• Learning to balance your sensory experiences
• Building healthy relationships and managing difficult situations
• Planning and organisation at University
• Motivation and procrastination
• Regulating energy levels

How are the sessions structured?

The weekly session structure follows this pattern:

• Welcome to the session and an outline of the topic that will be covered
• Feedback about trying out the skills learned in the previous session
• Introduction to the topic and the new skills
• A summary of the new skills to be practiced during the week, which you are welcome to try. 

What if I would like to attend the sessions but I find groups difficult?

Many autistic students find it challenging to work in groups and it is something that you can talk about with the wellbeing practitioner. Students attending this group have told us that connecting with other students who understand their experiences has helped them to feel supported and has helped build their confidence.

If you would like more information or to have an informal chat about this group, email wellbeing-admin@port.ac.uk and our admin team will connect you with the practitioner running this group.

Setting up a new support group

Would you like to be put in touch with other students with similar circumstances to you?

Sometimes it can really help to know others are facing similar challenges and to share thoughts and coping strategies. But it might be difficult to find them – and that’s where we’d like to help.

Connect with others in the same boat

We bring together small groups of people who would like the opportunity to meet, share and support each other around a particular challenge or concern that they have in common.

Are you:

• a student who is being affected by bereavement, whether recent or in the past?
• a student who is the main carer for a family member?
• a student who commutes to university from a distance, rather than living in Portsmouth?
• a student who is estranged from their family?

Challenges like these could leave you feeling isolated when others on your course or who you live with don’t understand.

The important thing to realise is that you’re not alone and that maybe you have something to offer others who feel the same as you. For example, the students who attended our bereavement group said that it was really valuable to meet people with similar experiences and have that group support.

Find a support group

If this is something you think you’d like us to develop and provide, why not get in touch and tell us and we’ll see what we can do to help find others who feel like you. Contact us at wellbeing@port.ac.uk and put ‘It’s not just me’ in the subject line.