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Durham University

Counselling Service

Counselling Service

COVID and Counselling Service Provision

The Counselling Service is offering a full service. All sessions will be offered remotely – wherever you are in the world, we anticipate being able to offer psychological wellbeing, counselling and mental health advisory sessions via the app Microsoft Teams (in Apps Anywhere), or via Zoom/ Skype or telephone. We are only able to call UK-based telephone numbers.

Please see the statement below about our support for students who are currently outside the UK.

You can self-refer to the Service by emailing counsel.service@dur.ac.uk You will be sent an online form to complete, and we will direct you to the most appropriate practitioner.

Our telephone will not be answered and voicemails will not be heard. Please communicate by email to counsel.service@dur.ac.uk

If you prefer, you can request to continue with any booked sessions in person after our return to the Palatine Centre, but bear in mind that this may be a number of weeks or months.

Please let us know if you need to cancel a session – it would be really helpful for all of our community.

Out of Hours Support

If you require out of hours support please contact one of the following agencies:

  • Samaritans 116 123
  • Your GP – any initial contact with your GP is likely to be by telephone. Do not attend the University Health Centre in person unless you have already spoken to the GP and been invited to attend an in-person consultation.
  • The local Crisis Team for Durham: 01388 45290 : this is staffed 24 hours/day, for residents needing urgent mental health care. If you are away from Durham, check websites for your local equivalent
  • The Mix 0808 808 4994 Open 11am – 11pm every day
  • SANEline 0300 304 7000 Open 4.30pm – 10.30pm every day
  • 24-hour National Domestic Violence Freephone Helpline 0808 2000 247
  • You can access help in a crisis from your local Accident & Emergency Department (24 hours), or call 999
  • NHS Helpline 111 - will be busier than usual so please be patient and use only in an urgent situation

Local NHS Services

We maintain strong links with local services. The current position is that individuals currently under the care of mental health services will receive telephone, or perhaps video-based, consultations. Arrangements for repeat prescriptions are in place, for postal delivery or collection from a local pharmacy. Please keep in touch with your practitioners.

Links for Mental Health resources specific to the challenges posed by the Corona virus and social isolation

Support for students outside the UK

While Durham University strives to make its online service available to all students, it does recognise that in some countries or within specific local areas within a country, for example students who are temporarily resident in the state of California, receiving online wellbeing or counselling is either not permitted or requires locality specific permissions or licences that as a UK-based higher educational service providing counselling in the context of higher education, for the purposes of supporting academic progression and engagement with the wider student experience we do not have. Given the large number of countries and the possibility of further local rules for areas within the country, it is not possible to guarantee that our information is up to date. Where you are accessing our on-line services, we would be grateful if you could inform us if you are aware of any legal restrictions relating to the University providing online wellbeing or counselling services to you in your current location.

Contact Details

Durham University Counselling Service
Palatine Centre
Stockton Road
Durham
0191 334 2200

Contact us

Durham University Counselling Service

Tel: 0191 334 2200