Psychosocial counselling service for students

Studying will bring many changes to your life. Some of them will be inspiring, enjoyable and interesting, but there may also be some that will challenge you.

The challenges you face may be:

• Meeting and working with new people.
• Having deadlines to meet.
• More freedom to study, but also more responsibility.
• Balancing the demands of your studies with your other commitments and activities.
• Leaving home.
• Keeping in touch with family and friends, especially if you have moved away from home.

There are many things you can do to make your studies easier and more enjoyable.

The psychosocial counselling service welcomes students who would like someone to help them think over various views, issues, and dilemmas, and who would like to gain clarity about their (future) professional work or about issues that arise during practical work, when visiting or facing various users and institutions (supervision, coaching).

Counselling is also available to anyone who is merely curious or would simply like to chat about themselves and receive some feedback.

Here, you can find more information about when, how and whom you can contact, if you want to arrage a counseling.

Do not be affraid to ask for help. We are here for you to support you before enrolment and also during your studies. There are many things you can do to make your studies easier and more enjoyable.

Mental health problems can affect concentration, motivation and the ability to focus on the tasks at hand.

With support, you can be successful in your studies.

• Get in touch with the contact person for students with special needs and special statuses at your faculty or academy to find out with them what adaptations you can make to your studies.
•  Contact one of the student tutors at the faculty or academy you are attending, or our International Student Ambassadors.

Although not a mental health professional, tutors and ambassadors can be a good source of information about different aspects of your studies and possible adaptations. You do not have to talk about your mental health problems when you meet or contact them, but basic information can help the them to consider possible types of support. They can give you advice on study and other topics, inform you of your rights and responsibilities, and support you in your studies.

• Contact and consult the counsellors at the psychosocial counselling service of the University of Ljubljana.
• Visit the various workshops offered by the University of Ljubljana Career Centres for career and personal growth.
• If you experience any kind of violence or bullying, contact the trusted persons at the individual faculties and academies.
• You can also seek help from the Student Ombudsman, who is responsible for ensuring an inclusive (study) environment.

Above all, don't be afraid to ask questions and seek support!

At the University of Ljubljana, we want to support students in overcoming any challenges they may face in their studies and help them achieve their goals.

ABOUT US

At the Faculty of Education, Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television and Student resident halls Rožna dolina, feel free to turn to one of the following counsellors:

• Matej Vajda ()
• Alenka Kobolt ()
• Julija Pelc ()
• Brina Ornik ()
• Maja Majcen ()
• Tadeja Kodele ()
• Nina Mešl ()
• Barbara Horvat Rauter ()
• Simona Prosen ()

At the Faculty of Health Sciences, the following counsellors are available:

• Tatjana Verbnik Dobnikar ()
• Alenka Kobolt ()
• Katja Čibašek ()
• Ana Jagrič ()

At the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, you can talk to:

• Jana Rapuš Pavel ()
• Tomaž Vec ()
• Tina Zupančič ()
• Tina Zupančič ()

Because the counsellors are trained in line with various specialist, counselling and (psycho)therapy schools, and have diverse experience in providing psychosocial assistance, we can assure you that they are able to adequately cover a wide spectrum of approaches and interventions, which students need in various life situations and contexts, and that they are able to recognise situations when someone needs to be referred to other professionals.

Once again: The psychosocial counselling service is intended to discuss even perfectly everyday, “ordinary” questions and concerns. Anyone coming to counselling will be able to do so in a completely unburdened manner, in peace, with a professional who will focus only on you. We can assure you we have the utmost respect for anonymity, discretion and confidentiality (meaning that everything you choose to discuss in the counselling service will remain between you and your counsellor).

HOW TO REACH US?

Email whomever you’d like to see and arrange a date that suits you both. Alternatively, you can simply come to the service’s opening hours. This is less advisable, as counsellors are often unavailable. In this case, you can at least set a date for your session. If you can’t come to the agreed-upon session, please inform the counsellor at least a few days before so that someone else might use your time slot.

If your health prevents you from coming to your counselling session or if the faculty is closed, you can arrange to talk to your counsellor via Skype, Zoom or a similar online communication system. We request, however, that you agree on your time slot, as well as the method and any conditions of counselling, beforehand, via email.

Head of the counselling service: Dr Tomaž Vec, specialist of psychological counseling

If you are in severe distress, please contact the emergency medical assistance at 112 or the Crisis Intervention Unit in Ljubljana, Grablovičeva 44a, at: +386 (0)1 5874 922, or theCentre for Outpatient Psychiatry, Njegoševa 4, Ljubljana, at: +386 (0)1 475