Issue 149

Support all the way

20th November 2006

The Student Support Service and the Student Counselling Service are always on hand to provide on campus counselling, but during this year they will also be providing some very special workshops and groups for students who need them.

The workshops are designed to equip students with the means to deal with whatever problems student life is throwing at them.

Individual, one to one counselling is always available, but in order to offer a range of services to suit more students a therapeutic group is planned for next February.

Group counselling might seem daunting to think about if you have a problem, but as Rob Turner points out: "Some things can be better dealt with in a group setting, rather than one to one."

The group offers a range of experiences and viewpoints within a safe space, facilitated and overseen by professionals, which is confidential and may be better than a one to one session. Rob recommends therapeutic groups for certain students in particular: "If you were, for example, having problems with your flatmates, or more generally having problems interacting with groups of people, then the Therapeutic Group might be a great idea."

Stress is a part of everyone's lives, and students in particular are exposed to increased stress through financial burdens, leaving home for the first time as well as the burden of continual assessment. Stress in itself is a healthy thing which allows us to work efficiently and well; however, when we get overstressed and are no longer managing stress, it can become a problem.

To help students deal with exam stress, there will be an Exam Anxiety Management workshop, several Relaxation workshops and a Stress management group. It might seem like a long way off now, but many students are aware through experience how anxious they get before exams.

Eryl Hulatt is running a workshop called 'Managing Exam Anxiety', which is designed to help participants explore what stress is, what triggers stress and what techniques can be used before, during and after exams to help busy students manage stress.

Rob Turner is running several Relaxation Workshops, which can also help manage stress. He claims his workshop "Will put you in touch with a level of relaxation you've probably never experienced before!" That's quite a claim, but he insists it's genuine.

Relaxation at this level effectively gives your brain a break from worry and stress, which helps prepare you for energy intensive situations such as revision. Students who would like to give this session a go are advised to wear warm clothes and bring something to rest their head on - Rob advises a thick paperback book as being ideal.

Rob says he's been teaching these techniques for years, and that students are always pleasantly pleased at the results. He's also used them himself for many years, and still finds them beneficial.

Student support has plenty to offer students experiencing problems and stress. Try a workshop - although you need to book, email Andrea at a.s.brown@swansea.ac.uk or give the Student Support Service a call on 01792 295592.

Charlie Duff