Health and Wellbeing Service
The Health and Wellbeing Service exists to support the wellbeing of students at Magdalene College. You can come to us with any issue impacting on your wellbeing. Whether it’s mental health, physical health, disability-related or other, we will discuss with you what your needs are, and either support you directly ourselves or help you access appropriate support from the University or elsewhere.
This is not an emergency service. If emergency support is required please read the Crisis Support Information for Help and Advice.
Who we are
The Health and Wellbeing service is a multidisciplinary team that includes, Catriona Keane, Head of Wellbeing, who is also a counsellor and Nurse, Taryn Rothwell, who works part-time. We are professional, non-judgemental, empathic and approachable.
Taryn Rothwell (left) and Catriona Keane (right).
We also work closely with the wider College Welfare Team which consists of the Senior Tutor, the Tutors, the Tutorial Office Staff, the College Chaplain, and Head of Operations, however we do not share any information without your explicit consent.
Health and Wellbeing Appointments
- Freshers Appointments
Brief meeting to check in with Nurse/Head of Wellbeing - Initial Intake Assessments
Initial intake assessment/appointments to triage individual needs, discuss mental health and counselling options and agree a plan moving forward - Wellbeing Appointments
Appointments for mental health advice, support or just a listening ear for all manner of emotional, personal, or mental health concerns - Advice and Support
Shorter appointment for general advice and support (not Physical health) - Physical Health Appointments
Appointments for assessment, advice and support in relation to physical health concerns, minor injuries and illnesses
How do I make an appointment with the Health and Wellbeing service?
- Fill in the following form and include a couple of times and days that you are available; an apt will be scheduled based on your availability.
- You can also e-mail directly welfare@magd.cam.ac.uk
- You can be referred by your GP, Tutor, other Health care practitioner and they can contact the service via e-mail welfare@magd.cam.ac.uk
- We aim to respond within 1-2 working days, with a view to offering you an initial assessment within 5 working days
- Our hours are 09:00-17.00, Monday to Friday
- Nurse (Monday 08:45-14:45, Wednesday 08:00-14:00, Friday 08:00-11:00)
- We can meet in person or online via Zoom
- We are based in Benson Court, F1 & F2, Magdalene College
What we do
In the first instance, we will invite you for an initial assessment (about 30 minutes - 1 hour). This is a conversation where we discuss with you what is impacting your wellbeing and assess what will be the most helpful way forward and how we can put this in place. This might be to receive direct support from the Head of Wellbeing, the College Nurse, referral to another University service or sometimes referral to an outside agency.
How we work
The aim of the Health and Wellbeing Service is to offer short-term, focused work, supporting undergraduate and postgraduate students to maintain their physical and mental wellbeing while at Magdalene College. For those who require longer-term support, we will support you in accessing that support, whether it be from the University, the NHS or elsewhere.
Ethical Practice for Counselling
As an accredited counsellor, Catriona is professionally accountable to the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and work to their robust Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and as a Registered Nurse, Taryn is professionally accountable to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is between the student and the Health and Wellbeing Service, and all appointments and sessions are confidential. This means that under normal circumstances nothing will leave our service without your express permission, even if a Tutor, member of staff, family or friend contacts us.
Very occasionally and in very rare circumstances, we reserve the right to breach confidentiality in line with our statutory and ethical obligations, these are:
(i) If you have explicitly consented; or
(ii) There is a clear risk of imminent and serious harm to you or to others in which a duty of care outweighs the duty of confidentiality; or
(iii) There is a legal obligation to do so. However, in such circumstances, we would always seek to speak with you first.
We also hold as confidential that you have chosen to use the service, with the following exceptions:
- If a Tutor has referred you to the service, we will write to the referrer to let them know that we have received the referral and an appointment to meet has been offered.
- If we are contacted by a Tutor or member of staff who has direct concerns regarding your welfare but has been unable to make contact with you we may confirm whether you are or are not using our service.
Sometimes, we may decide together that it may be in your best interest for the service to make contact with a third party e.g. if your personal difficulties or psychological problems are affecting your academic work, it could be helpful to write to your Tutor. This would only be done with your explicit consent.
Record Keeping
All your information that the service holds is kept under the terms of GPDR in line with College requirements. Session notes are brief and a factual account of what is discussed and are stored electronically. The confidentiality of these remains strictly within the service unless:
- you request to see them
- you wish them to be shared for a specific reason, in which case we would request your written consent
- we are legally obliged to do so
Your records will be securely destroyed after seven years.
Wellbeing Activities
We have several exciting wellbeing activities lined up for this term. These events have been designed with the aim of promoting mental and physical wellness, encouraging self-care, taking some time off your studies, and managing stress.
Check out this term's events on the Wellbeing Activities page, we look forward to seeing you there!
How to help us
Due to the busy nature of the service, please reply within 24 hours of receipt of an appointment. If you have not confirmed attendance within this time frame it’s possible that we may have to re-allocate your offered session time, in which case you will be sent another appointment for a later date.
As far as possible, please give us at least 48 hours notice if you need to cancel your appointment.
How to help yourself
We hope that you will feel able to reach out to us if you are struggling, but we recognise the importance of having access to useful information that can help you help yourself. For this purpose, we have provided some links to self-help resources:
University Counselling Service - Self-help Resources - Self-help information compiled by staff at the University Counselling Service
University of Cambridge - Student Support - Student support information from the University of Cambridge
ADHD Support
- ADHD Huberman Lab - Podcast discussing neuroscience and how our brain and organs control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health.
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - NHS support and advice on ADHD
Autism Support
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - NHS support and advice on ASD
- National Autistic Society - Charity that provides advice, guidance and support for autistic people and their families.
- Psychiatry UK, Right to Choose (ADHD referrals) - Information on the right to choose a healthcare provider if referred to a specialist.
- Problem Shared - Right to choose information if referred for specialist treatment such as ADHD or autism assessment.
Dyslexia Support
- The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) - Working to achieve a dyslexia-friendly society for all.
- Dyspraxia Foundation - Support for people with dyspraxia and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)
Eating Disorder Support
- Family Mental Wealth - Resource for carers or those impacted by someone who has an eating disorder.
- The New Maudsley Approach - A resource for professionals and carers of people with eating disorders.
Empathy Support
- Brené Brown on Empathy - What is the best way to ease someone's pain and suffering? This animated RSA Short shows us that we can only create a genuine empathic connection if we are brave enough to really get in touch with our own fragilities.
Friendship Support
- Your Best Friend - Empowering all 13-24 year old girls, young women, and non-binary people with knowledge and confidence to help their friends.
Mental Health Support
- Student Space from Student Minds - UK’s student mental health charity. Information and advice to help with the challenges of student life
- Psychological Wellbeing Service (IAPT) - NHS initiative to make psychological or talking therapies more accessible to people experiencing mental health problems.
- Keep Your Head Mental Health Service - Information on mental health and wellbeing for young people across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
- Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire Mind (CPSL Mind) - Mental health charity, providing services to support recovery from mental health problems and promote positive mental health.
- Psychological Skills Service - NHS service for people who experience significant difficulties with their mental health.
- Reading Well for Mental Health - Information and support for managing common mental health conditions, or dealing with difficult feelings and experiences.
Musical Support
- Centre for Music Performance - Department of the University of Cambridge which enables students of all subjects and levels of musical experience to make cocurricular music of all genres a core part of their lives.
Pharmacies
Local late night pharmacies, click links for opening times.
Self-harm Support
- distrACT app - Information and links to support for people who self-harm and may feel suicidal.
Sleep Support
- Get Sleepy - Sleep story-telling program, relax and fall asleep with the sleep podcast.
Study Support
- Space Finder - Helps Cambridge students find study spaces which match their needs.
- Reduce Digital Distraction - Strategies to help change your use of digital devices.
- The Pomodoro Technique - Beat procrastination and improve your focus.
- Forest App - An app that helps you stay focused on the important things in life.
Vision Support
- Cam Sight - Cambridgeshire charity supporting people living with low vision and blindness.
Wellbeing Support
- The Wellbeing Thesis - Resource for postgraduate students to support wellbeing, learning and research.
- Ways to look after your Wellbeing - Weekly tips, advice, resources and activities to wellbeing and mental health.
- How We Feel App - A free journal for your well-being, to help everyone better understand their own emotions
- Mindfulness By Dr Elizabeth English - Podcast focusing on Mindfulness at Cambridge.