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Frequently Asked Questions

Help, Information and Urgent Support

What happens when I register?

  • You will need to complete our registration form before or at the time of booking your first appointment with us
  • After we receive your registration form, we will contact you to book an initial appointment with a Wellbeing Advisor. This is a half hour chat which will give you the chance to discuss your situation and get some initial support. The Wellbeing Advisor will help you to decide the best support option for you and talk you through what happens next.

How flexible are your appointments?

  • We offer some appointments after 5pm. When you contact us to book your appointment, we will always try to find a time that suits you
  • We have some limited counselling available at the Lansdowne campus, but most of our services and our initial appointments take place at Talbot House on the Talbot Campus.

Who can access Student Wellbeing?

Our services are open to students from Bournemouth University and the Chiropractic College (AECC).

Students attending the Bournemouth and Poole College (including those on BU programmes) will need to access support services through the college:

  • College students at the Lansdowne should either make an appointment at Main Reception or phone 01202 205255
  • College students at the North Road site should go to The Link, Student Support Centre or phone 01202 205205.

Is the service confidential?

Our service operates a strict confidentiality policy and we do not normally tell anybody that you have accessed the service or any details about the nature of the support you are receiving. There are times, however, when we may need to breach this due to legal obligations or if we believe that you or another person is at risk of harm. You will need to sign our confidentiality agreement in order to access our service, which explains our policy in more detail.

This service is provided by Dorset HealthCare. We will not share any information about you with your GP or any other health services without consent except in the circumstances described in our confidentiality policy or when expressly requested by yourself.

Do I need to make an appointment?

The service provides regular drop-in sessions during term-time on Mondays (2-3pm), Tuesdays (12.30-1.30pm) and Thursdays (3-4pm).

In addition, Dorset Rape Crisis will be running drop-in sessions at Student Wellbeing on the first Monday of each month, from 11.30am-3.30pm.

Want to talk to somebody but not on campus or in Bournemouth?

If you're not on campus at BU there is a range of services available to you: 

You can contact the BU Student Wellbeing Team by phone on 01202 965020. 

The Big White Wall (BWW) is a digital mental health support service which is available online, 24/7, and is completely anonymous so you can express yourself freely and openly. Professionally trained Wall Guides monitor the community to ensure the safety and anonymity of all members.

In addition to BWW’s online community, you will have access to a wealth of useful information and can work through tailored self-help programmes covering topics such as anxiety, sleep, weight management, depression and many more. For more information please visit the Big White Wall website.

You can also access local support services in the South and South West:

Improving Access to Psychological Therapy Services (IAPT):

Sexual Assault Referral Centers (SARC):

Rape crisis support:

Portsmouth Abuse & Rape Counselling Service (PARCS)
Somerset & Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (SARSAS)