Mental health support at BCU
Whether you have an existing mental health condition or begin to need some extra support during your time at uni, BCU is equipped with the resources to help. Here are all the things you’ll have access to once you join us.
1. Support before you arrive
When you filled in your UCAS application, you may have noticed the option to declare a disability. If you did declare a disability relating to your mental health then this information will have gone straight to our disability support team, so they can figure out how we can support you from the get-go!
You’ll receive an email with more information about the services we offer and a chance to attend a pre-entry appointment, so you can discuss any additional needs and get to know our team.
If you did not declare a long-term mental health condition when applying through UCAS, but would now like to let us know, you can complete the online profile form.
2. Free, confidential appointments
Our mental health and wellbeing team offer appointments year-round (including outside of term time) at both our City Centre and City South Campuses. As a student, you can book an appointment if you want to discuss:
- Concerns about your wellbeing – anything that is getting in the way of your studying and enjoying life at university, including concerns about relationships, sexuality and gender, accommodation difficulties, healthy lifestyle and homesickness.
- Emerging mental health issues – sleeping problems, feeling anxious or isolated, experiencing low mood, thinking about harming yourself.
- Diagnosed mental health difficulties or illness.
3. Counselling service
If you attend an appointment with our mental health and wellbeing team, they may advise that counselling would benefit you.
Counselling is a way of addressing problems by talking them through with someone who is able to be supportive. A counsellor will:
- give you an opportunity to talk in confidence about whatever is troubling you
- enable you to express your feelings
- help you to explore and understand your difficulties
- help you to find ways of managing these more effectively.
Counselling can help you deal with all kinds of issues, for example: anxiety, feeling depressed, low self-esteem, coming out, grief and loss, trauma, and relationship difficulties whatever your background or sexual orientation.
Our counselling service is free of charge, confidential and provided by accredited professionals who have experience working with students at university. Find out more about counselling at BCU.
4. BCUSU’s Mental Health Society and Put the Kettle on Society
If you want to chat to other students who may be struggling with their mental health or wellbeing in a relaxed, comfortable environment, then the Mental Health Society is something you can get involved in.
The Mental Health society aims to break the taboo of talking about mental health and offer a non-judgemental space to talk and learn more about how you can support yourself and others. Plus, it’s free to join and is actually a great way to make friends!
Put the Kettle On is another student-led society that is dedicated to offering students a support network so that they can talk about their mental health in a relaxed environment.
5. Access mindfulness app Headspace
As a student at BCU, you’ll be able to get free membership for the Headspace app.
Headspace offers mindfulness and meditation resources that can be handy in lots of different situations. For example, if you’re struggling to sleep, focus on your work or if you’re dealing with anxiety, grief, loneliness or any other emotion under the sun, you can listen to a podcast or meditation session to help.