If you’ve never used a _Q11&12 counselor before, then you should make an appointment with _Q11&12 Naomi Flynn. Naomi specialises in seeing new students and offers a preliminary session where she will talk to you about what you can expect from counseling, followed by some simple questions about what you would like to discuss. This can be really helpful for students who are feeling a bit worried about the counseling process. Naomi is also the best option for students who can only see a counselor outside office hours. She is not in on Mondays, but starts early on Wednesday mornings and works late on Thursday evenings, so you can see her before your first class or after your last class on those days.

_Q13 Louise Bagshaw staffs our drop-in centre throughout the day. If you need to see someone _Q13 without a prior appointment then she is the one to visit. Please note that if you use this service then Louise will either see you herself or place you with the next available counselor. If you want to be sure to see the same counselor on each visit, then we strongly recommend you make an appointment ahead of time. You can do this at reception during office hours or by using our online booking form.

_Q14 Tony Denby is our newest addition to the counseling team. He is our only male counselor and he has an extensive background in stress management and relaxation techniques. We encourage anyone who is trying to deal with _Q14 anxiety to see him. Tony will introduce you to a full range of techniques to help you cope with this problem such as body awareness, time management, and positive reinforcement.

Each semester the counseling team runs a number of small group workshops. These last for two hours and are free to all enrolled students. Our first workshop is called Adjusting. We’ve found that tertiary education can come as a big shock for some people. After the structured learning environment of school, it is easy to feel lost. In this workshop, we will introduce you to what is necessary for academic success. As you might expect, we’re targeting _Q15 first year students with this offering.

Getting organised follows on from the first workshop. Here, we’re going to help you break the habit of putting things off, get the most out of your time, and discover the _Q16 right balance between academic and recreational activities. With Getting organised, we’re catering to a broader crowd, which includes all undergraduates and postgraduates.

Next up is a workshop called Communicating. The way people interact here may be quite different to what you’re used to, especially if you’ve come from abroad. We’ll cover an area that many _Q17 foreign students struggle with – how to talk with teachers and other staff. We’ll cover all aspects of multicultural communication. International students tend to get a lot out of this class, so we particularly encourage you to come along, but I must say that sometimes students from a local background find it helpful too. So, everyone is welcome!

The Anxiety workshop is held later on in the year and deals with something you will all be familiar with – the nerves and anxiety that come when exams are approaching. Many students go through their entire academic careers suffering like this, but you don’t have to. Come to this workshop and we’ll teach you all about _Q18 relaxation and how to breathe properly, as well as meditation and other strategies to remain calm. We’ve tailored this workshop to anyone who is going to sit exams.

Finally, we have the _Q19 motivation workshop. The big topic here is how to stay on target and motivated during long-term research projects. This workshop is strictly for _Q20 research students, as less-advanced students already have several workshops catering to their needs.

Well, that’s it, thanks for your time. If you have any questions or want more information about our services, do come and see us at the Counseling Service.

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