In this issue
Taking social anxiety听seriously
Avoiding social encounters and听public speaking, or enduring these听with considerable distress, is a听common experience for students听and others, many of whom fulfil听clinical criteria for social anxiety.听脡amonn 脫 Dochartaigh explores
An attachment approach (free article)
Jane McChrystal argues that with听more students experiencing听financial pressures in addition to听developmental and academic听challenges, and staff facing increased听demands with fewer resources, an听attachment perspective can provide听a useful approach
Fear-free caregiving
Una McCluskey believes an听understanding of how the fear听system interacts with the听attachment system is vital
Bereavement group
Bereaved students often struggle听with feelings of isolation. David听Glyn explores the benefits of a听bereavement group
Setting up a peer听support service
Tina Usherwood looks at the role听of peer support in her institution
A day in the life of鈥�
Bhavna Abbi, one of five University听of Wolverhampton student听counsellors, describes her day
HUCS鈥� response to the听new economic realities
A r茅sum茅 of a presentation given听to the national Head of University听Counselling Services (HUCS)听meeting in February
The value of an听in-house service
Patti Wallace distils recent email听discussion on the HUCS mailbase听as a guide to how to present听evidenced arguments in support of听counselling services
Recent references
A useful summary of sources听relevant to student mental health听and counselling outcomes
Notes from the chair
Update and thoughts from听Chris Holt
Not all articles from this issue are available online. Divisional members and subscribers can download the pdf from the听University and College Counselling听archive.
From the editor
鈥榃here is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?鈥�
(TS Eliot: Choruses from the Rock, 1935)
And, Elliot might have added, where is the information we have lost听in the bits and bytes we are constantly bombarded with and are听in danger of drowning in? Indeed, where is the foresight lost in听managers? Few if any people I have encountered in our sector, have听expressed anything but shock and horror at the seemingly myopic view听of current policy in many areas, particularly our own. Even TS Eliot鈥檚 East听Coker, immortalised in the Four Quartets, appears to be under threat听(Observer, 20/3/11, p21).
As a species we do not seem to have acquired much wisdom despite听a plethora of information and knowledge. Wisdom is remarkably elusive听鈥� where is the Delphi Oracle of old when you need it? Despite having more听information, facts and 鈥榚vidence鈥� at our finger tips than ever before, we听appear little wiser.
We work in education where the goal is surely to lay the foundation听for the acquisition of wisdom by adding value to data, information and听knowledge through enabling understanding, insight and encouraging听experience. And hopefully metamorphosing that into a glimmer of wisdom...
Coming hastily back down to earth, I am pleased that the contributors听to this issue suggest that with reflection, there is still hope, that far from听merely sitting Canute-like at the edge of forces we cannot control, we have听strength and resilience to share and that much can be done even in the face听of discouraging news of cutbacks, particularly in FE, which is perhaps the听most vulnerable currently in our sector.
The theme of this year鈥檚 conference is timely: Making sense in uncertain听times: facing difficulties both creatively and professionally. I look forward听to seeing as many of听you as possible there,听with minds wide open,听ideas simmering, pen听(or iPad) in hand, eager听to contribute to the听collective wisdom that听hopefully will be听evidenced in your journal!
Dani Singer
Editor