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Aims and Objectives
The primary purpose of the Student Counselling Service is to provide a free confidential professional counselling service to all matriculated Edinburgh University students.
The Student Counselling Service
We offer short-term counselling of up to six sessions. Our team are all experienced professionally qualified counsellors in line with the Service’s policy on Clinical need and Counselling Provision. We also adhere to the Ethical Framework of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
We follow our own Code of Practice on Confidentiality and Data Protection detailing the nature and limits of confidentiality provided by us. A copy of our Code of Practice is given to every client prior to initial assessment.
University of Edinburgh support service
The Student Counselling Service is a discrete department of the University of Edinburgh and forms part of the Student and Academic Services Group headed by the University Secretary. The Service receives an annual operating budget from the University. The Director also reports annually to the Quality Assurance Committee.
Locations and opening hours
The Service operates out of university properties located on three sites: Main Library Building (George Square), Paterson’s Land (Moray House School of Education) and Weir Building (King's Buildings) the latter shared with the Careers Service of the University
The office in the Main Library Building is open from 9am until 4.45pm, Monday to Friday.
The office at Paterson’s Land is open from 9am until 4pm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday during semester time and from 9am - 1pm on Tuesday. This office is closed during the vacation.
The office at Weir Building, King's Buildings is open from 9am to 1pm on Monday and Thursday semester time only.
Support for students
The secondary objective of the Student Counselling Service is to enhance and encourage the emotional well-being and mental health of Edinburgh University Students and those who support them. The Service seeks to reach this objective by
- facilitating personal development workshops for students
- Offering advice and support to academic staff concerned for the mental and emotional well-being of their students
- contributing to training and development programmes organised for staff and students by other departments of the University
- collaborating and liaising with colleagues in other University services, the Edinburgh University Students Association, and the University Health Centre
- by participating in the Welfare Consultative Committee of the University
- by active membership of the Association for University and College Counselling
- by offering high quality training places to trainee counsellors
This article was published on Aug 31, 2011