Counselling Service - What can I expect from Counselling?
What Can I Expect from the Counselling & Personal Development Service?
The Counselling and Personal Development Service offers a range of clinical services and is available to all undergraduate and postgraduate DCU registered students.
Students who wish to avail of the services provided, please email counselling@dcu.ie for the Glasnevin Campus and spd.counselling@dcu.ie for the St Patrick’s Campus.
On contacting the service, students who wish to register with the Counselling and Personal Development Service are invited to complete an intake registration form and a psychometric measure online. This takes approx.15 minutes to complete. The link to both of these forms will be emailed to you by one of our service administrators from counselling@dcu.ie or from spd.counselling@dcu.ie
All personal information provided to the service is held confidentially by the service and is in line with GDPR.
Please click the following link for full detail https://www.dcu.ie/counselling/confidentiality-policy-data-protection-notice
What is Counselling?
Counselling is a specialist service provided by qualified, accredited counselling psychologists/psychotherapists and counsellors who at an advanced stage of their counselling psychology/psychotherapy training; who are experienced in the developmental and learning paths of students.
Counselling involves providing professional assistance to students who are experiencing personal issues to help alleviate those difficulties. Everyone faces challenges and difficulties in their life at some time, however sometimes, they can be overwhelming. Stress, anxiety, difficulties in a relationship, family difficulties, trauma, assault, mental health difficulties are just some of the reasons students feel they can benefit by talking to a professional Counsellor/ Psychotherapist.
Counselling facilitates self-awareness, and offers the opportunity to learn skills and ways to enhance the student’s personal tool kit and resources when facing personal and mental health difficulties that hinder academic performance and/or negatively impact on their college/personal life.
The Counselling and Personal Development Service offers the following services:
Challenging the Appearance Ideal and improving our relationship with our body and with food - also known as "The Body Project"
- Barrie McEntee, counsellor with the DCU Counselling and Personal Development Service will lead and facilitate this program.
- It involves 4 one hour sessions in a group setting of no more than 12 participants. The sessions will be in person.
- Email barrie.mcentee@dcu.ie to sign up and express interest in the program and he will reply to you giving the next set of dates when the program runs and offer to have a brief chat to see if the program is a good fit for you at this time.
Introduction to Mindfulness Training (Developed by the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults, MIEA, from Duke University USA)
- Barrie McEntee, counsellors with the DCU Counselling and Personal Development Service, is offering this program over 4 seventy-five minute sessions, in person, on the St Patrick's campus (moving to Glasnevin campus in semester 2). Open to all students.
- The course comes with a very useful app. which tracks your progress and provides guidance for your mindfulness practice.
- There is a certificate awarded upon completion of the program.
- The dates have yet to be confirmed but if you are interested in this training please email barrie.mcentee@dcu.ie and he will contact you to let you know when the next set of 4 sessions take place.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.
For mindfulness practice podcasts, mindfulness handbook, a short mindfulness practice and other mindfulness resources.
Please click on the following link for full information and view the drop down fields What is Mindfulness? | Counselling & Personal Development Service (dcu.ie)
Live Wise Book Therapy
The Live Wise Book Therapy Collection promotes and supports students as well as staff in strengthening their own self-care and maintaining their physical, emotional and personal wellbeing. It provides information, suggestions and tips on how to manage various issues and experiences that we or those close to us may encounter in life.
It consists of E-Books and print titles which are located in the Cregan Library, DCU St Patrick's Campus and in the O'Reilly Library on the Glasnevin Campus.
The collection covers a wide variety of themes:
- Addiction
- Anxiety And Stress
- Depression
- Enhance Your Potential
- Grief and Loss
- Health and Illness
- Managing Emotions
- Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
- Neurodiversity
- Non Suicidal Self-Injury
- Parenting
- Relationships
- Sexuality
- Skills for Academic Success
- Therapy
- Trauma
Psychological resources including podcasts, videos, audio recordings, short resource leaflets etc. please click here.
Information on additional student services/supports, please click on the relevant links for further details:
- Student Support and Development
- Extenuating Circumstances R30/Application for Postponement of Assessment/R33 and other academic forms/ information, please click here
Individual Counselling
In counselling the student and the counsellor develop a supportive relationship in which the student is empowered to make informed choices and find positive responses to difficulties.
One to one counselling is offered according to urgency and when space becomes available.
In the initial meeting the counsellor will listen carefully to your concerns, will assist in identifying the main issues and will help in drawing up together a plan of work.
The counsellor will encourage you to express your thoughts and feelings, in an environment that is confidential, non-judgemental and professional.
Each counselling session lasts 50/60mins.
Some student's avail of two to three sessions, others avail of four to five sessions. The average number of sessions availed of by students is six.
On-going collaboration and evaluation with your counsellor is an essential part of the counselling process to facilitate the best personal development.
Outcome(s).
Professional support and encouragement is provided to engage effectively with issues that one might otherwise find challenging to address.
Counselling often engages in the area between what we know and are comfortable with and that which we are less aware of and less comfortable with.
This often is the area of greatest potential personal development.
Counselling may involve changing one's behaviour and/or perspective and/or finding constructive ways to dealing with a situation(s).
When/if required the student is supported by referral for psychiatric or learning disorder assessment/treatment as appropriate.
With the student's commitment to engage and work with their counsellor, counselling is an opportunity to grow personally, to develop self-insight and life skills central to one's overall mental health, wellbeing and resilience as a student.
External Counselling
If you are seeking an external counsellor/psychotherapist here are professional bodies which can help provide you with contact information to professional & accredited practitioners.
You might also consider contacting your GP/Doctor who can support/advise on referring to a counselling psychologist/clinical psychologist/psychotherapist or mental health service.
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Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy |
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Irish Council for Psychotherapy |
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The Psychological Society of Ireland |
We hope the information provided here is of support and please don’t hesitate in contacting us at counselling@dcu.ie or spd.counselling@dcu.ie if we can be of any assistance.