Information for Staff
Contents
There is information on this page about counselling, how to refer students to us, dealing with stress and dealing with difficult behaviours.
Staff who are concerned about a student or student-related situation are welcome to contact a counsellor to discuss the matter. The staff member does not need to disclose the student's identity.
What is Counselling?
Counselling is meant to be a positive experience and is a collaborative process whereby the counsellor and client work together to try to identify, understand and resolve the issue(s) causing concern.
How to refer students
If you wish to refer a student to our service, you can pass on our contact details to the student who can then phone, or call in, to book an appointment. If the student is very distressed, or you have concerns about their safety, we will endeavour to see them on the same day. You can speak to our administrative assistant about available appointment times, or ask to speak directly with a counsellor.
Dealing with difficult behaviours
There may be times in your work that you are faced with managing difficult situations with students, the public or colleagues. Useful information can be found in Dealing with Distressing, Atypical and/or Threatening Behaviour , Flowchart for Dealing with Disruptive and/or Threatening Behaviour and Information about Specific Mental Health Problems .
For guidelines about what universities can do to facilitate improved educational outcomes for students with a mental illness, please refer to Mental Health Guidelines for Tertiary Education Institutions .
Dealing with work stress
Do
- Have non-work friends. Although it is helpful to get things off your chest with work friends, it is common to stay stuck with what is negative rather than giving yourself some relief to talk about different things. This is often easier to do with non-work friends.
- Keep a journal of thoughts and feelings if you have no one close to talk with.
- Exercise regularly at the right pace for you. Exercise releases the stress and tension stored in your body.
- Learn a relaxation/meditation technique. The most important time to relax is when you don't have time. Relaxation increases productivity, motivation and creativity, not to mention helping you feel better about yourself and life. Student Assist has a range of relaxation CDs you can borrow or download the podcast.
- Regularly taking some slow deep breaths does wonders for your stress. You can do this while sitting, standing or lying down. Just close your eyes and breathe in slowly and deeply (your abdomen should expand, not just your chest). Then breathe out for the count of 5. Do this about 10 times and feel the tension disappear.
- Feed yourself healthy food and don't be hard on yourself if you indulge yourself on 'naughty food' from time to time! You may need to reduce your intake of caffeine (in coffee, black tea, cola drinks and chocolate) and alcohol.
- If you haven't been sleeping well, there are lots of simple techniques to help - Student Assist has an excellent podcast titled Sleep with Ease: Some Practical Help with Sleep Problems.
- Actively find some things to laugh about - find time to tell jokes; hire out, or go and see funny movies; get someone to tickle you! Research shows that people boost their immune system with laughter and this helps to prevent disease.
- Manage your time well so you find some time to engage in activities you enjoy, eg gardening, dancing, bushwalking or whatever - it must be something you enjoy. Doing something you love relaxes your emotions.
- Have a massage, a relaxing bath, try aromatherapy, listen to music - anything you find soothing for your nervous system.
- Take a few minutes to gently stretch your body in different ways - great for releasing tension.
- Say 'NO' when you want to - you don't have to be a super woman/man.
- Find some ways to deal with your different feelings as they come up, eg cry if you want to. There are lots of ways to deal with anger rather than take it out on people you care about, or the cat or dog, eg. find a private space and scream, stamp your feet, or any other action, as long as you don't hurt yourself or anyone else.
- Take a 'daydream holiday' - allow yourself to escape from stress by taking your mind to an enjoyable place.
- Read a good book - reading a sad or funny story can help you release pent-up emotions.
- Make a worry list - if worries keep going around and around in your head, make a list and prioritise. Think about what can be changed and what can't be changed. Give yourself permission to let go of things that cannot be changed. Brainstorm some options for those things you can make an impact on and begin by doing something positive.
DON'T
- Don't allow yourself to dwell constantly on the work issue - yes, you do have things to be concerned about, but give yourself a break.
- Don't turn to alcohol, drugs and/or food to deal with feelings and difficult thoughts - find someone to talk to instead and/or keep a journal.
- Don't get carried away with that inner voice inside your head that can be self-critical and/or constantly worry about everything - it's exhausting and lowers your to self-esteem.
Fact Sheets are available on Managing Life Stresses, Unwind with Meditation and Relaxation and Sleep with Ease: Some Practical Help with Sleep Problems