In a crisis
If your need is urgent (or if you are worried about someone else who is in crisis), please do seek help.
- For urgent help on campus you can contact University Security on 0161 306 9966
- Alternatively, use your ‘SAFEZONE’ app which will alert security to an emergency or the need for first aid support.
- Counselling & Mental Health Service (Monday – Friday 9-4.30). This service is not an urgent care or crisis service but they are here to help. If you are in crisis but feel able to keep yourself safe please call 0161 2752864 or contact the Duty Practitioners on counselling.service@manchester.ac.uk Duty staff will get back to you as soon as possible to provide support and advice on next steps.
- If you need help whilst staying in University Halls of Residence please contact your Residential Life team. Information includes out-of-hours support within halls under the heading Accommodation Advisors: Contact us | Residents | The University of Manchester
Urgent Help (NHS):
Accident and Emergency (A&E) Departments across the UK have dedicated Mental Health Liaison Teams ready to support people in Mental Health Crisis whose lives are at immediate risk. It can feel quite daunting going to A&E but the mental health staff there will give you time to talk through your difficulties and will aim to find a plan that will work for you. Do not hesitate to call emergency services (999) or attend A&E if you feel unable to keep yourself safe. In cases where need is not immediate but you wish to access rapid support please also consider accessing your General Practitioner: Find a GP – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
University of Manchester Counselling and Mental Health Service
The University’s Counselling and Mental Health Service is independent and confidential and can offer you help in understanding, dealing with or overcoming difficulties that may prevent you getting the most out of your life and studies at University.
They provide a safe space to talk about any personal difficulty affecting you. This may include the pressures of academic work, issues around self-identity, family problems, relationships issues and past or more recent trauma. You will be given opportunity explore and understand your experiences and think about what you would like to be different. If needed they can help you access further support from NHS or 3rd Sector mental health services. What you talk about is kept confidential except in circumstances where we may need to protect your safety or that of others: Confidentiality (The University of Manchester) One to One sessions typically last 45-50 minutes.
The University of Manchester Counselling and Mental Health Service are a large team with a varied range of backgrounds and skills who can help with your mental health:
Counsellors: Counselling staff are trained in a range of psychotherapeutic models. Although they do not offer specific therapeutic treatments, their counsellors will draw upon their training and their experience to help you make sense of your difficulties and identify some skills to enable you to cope more effectively.
Mental Health Practitioners: Mental health practitioners are experienced in understanding and assessing mental health presentations and can offer support and advice including signposting to appropriate services.
Social Prescribers: All the Social Prescribers have a background of working in mental health and other support services. They have a wealth of knowledge about the university community and can help you build connections which can also improve your mental health.
Triage Support Practitioners: Triage Support Practitioners also have varying backgrounds working in mental health and again have training in a range of counselling modalities and in other mental health strategies. The Triage Support Practitioners often support your first point of contact with the service. They offer a kind, listening ear and will help you think about what support best meets your needs.
As well as offering face to face appointments, the Counselling Service offer lots of self help resources on their website, including:
- Online materials;
- downloads to help you relax and sleep;
- mindfulness exercises;
- workshops to increase your ability to cope with the issues you are facing.
Initial ‘First Step’ appointments are released for the next working day at around 4pm Monday-Friday. Please note that you click on the date of the next working day and then click either the morning or afternoon slots. Once the appointment slots are populated at 4p.m. they can be booked. At peak times they can go quickly. If you can’t find any available slots this indicates that they have already been booked into. We ask for your patience and recommend that you try a few times. If you are struggling with this, feel unable to book on-line or need to speak someone more urgently Call 0161 275 2864.
The phone line is open from 9.00am – 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. If you have a general enquiry or want to reschedule or cancel an appointment, please ring the service on 0161 275 2864.
You can email at counselling.service@manchester.ac.uk
The inbox is manned by Duty Practitioners Monday to Friday 9-4.30pm. These practitioners will prioritise responding to urgent queries but will aim to help with more general queries within 2 working days. Please note your email may be passed on to the Triage Support Team if your query is a more general enquiry about appointment bookings.
The Counselling and Mental Health Service is located on fifth Floor of Crawford House and is open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.
The Counselling Service aims to offer appropriate help as quickly and as conveniently as possible. At busy times, there may be a longer wait so it is well worth looking at the self help resources.
Interactive apps and online courses
Spectrum.Life’s app provides you with interactive resources to help track and improve your wellbeing. Within the app, you will get access to a library of resources personalised to your preferences, wellbeing articles, videos, mood trackers, 4-week plans, mini health checks and more.
Qwell provides free, safe and anonymous online mental health support whenever you need it.
Living Life to the Full offers free courses tackling low mood, stress and resiliency.
Student Minds offer free, online courses to support you with managing your mental health at university.
Students Against Depression offers comprehensive information on depression, resources to tackle it and the opportunity to discuss it with other UK students.
Please remember that if the Counselling Service is unable to offer you an immediate appointment and you feel that you need to see someone urgently then do speak with your GP, or use any of the support mechanisms within the MBChB Programme.