Counselling Service

Groups

Groups for this semester

NB: Group program dates and times for Semester One, 2012 coming soon.

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation

Free Meditation sessions for students!

These sessions are designed to provide some basic understanding of the Mindfulness method of meditation and to practice the meditation in order to experience its benefits. Suitable for those who want to manage stress better, worry less, reduce anxiety and feel more in control of your moods and reaction.

Presented by: Poppy
Wednesday: 7  March (12 sessions)
12.00pm – 1.00pm
*Booking Required

Stress Management

Stress is inevitable in life – some stress is in fact desirable – but a student’s life need not be too stressful!
Come along to better understand how stress can impact on you and your studies. Develop a kit bag of strategies aimed at helping you manage stress better.       

Presented by: John
Friday: 23 March and 30 March (2 sessions)
11.30am to 1.00pm
*Bookings Required

Professional Placements

Come along to either of these 1 1/2hr sessions, which will aim to provide support and guidance around professional placements.

Presented by: Mary
Tuesday: 13 March
10.00 – 11.30 am
 *Booking Required

Queer Chat

An open group for students who are feeling isolated by or questioning their sexuality. Connect in a safe environment; support each other at LTU and beyond (BYO lunch).

Wednesdays – recommencing  7 MARCH 2012
1.00pm – 2.00pm BYO LUNCH
*Interview required with Devorah before joining

Getting a Good Night's Sleep

Come along to this 1.5 hour information session which will aim to provide you with some insights about the importance of sleep, common problems associated with sleep and how to establish better sleeping habits and improve the quality of your sleep.
Presented by Tania
Thursday 19 April
10.00-11.30am
*Booking Required

Small group or shared counselling

Small group or 'shared' counselling is an alternative to individual counselling and can be particularly effective for certain issues.

It involves three or four people with some common concerns or experiences meeting with a counsellor and working together to address the negative impact of these in their lives.

Examples of 'shared' counselling themes include:

• Understanding cultural differences: for international students who come from countries where English is not the first language
• Growing in social confidence and the ability to build friendships
• Stepping out: for women who have experienced childhood trauma
• Motherless daughters: when your mother dies during your teen years.
• Beat the snooze blues: the quest for a good night’s sleep.

Please contact reception if you are interested in shared counselling.
Ph: 9479 2956.
Email: counselling@latrobe.edu.au.

Additional information is available in our Small Group Counselling brochure.

Custom made groups

Is there a group you have been wishing was available? Maybe we can help.                          
In the past the Counselling Service has responded to requests from academic staff and groups of students for a program tailored to their needs.       
Examples include:                                            
- Postgraduate dilemmas
- Developing skills in Time and Organisation
- Improving your Communication Skills

If you have an idea or have been talking about a need, email, telephone or drop it in to the Counselling Service (Level 2, Peribolos East) to let us know and we will get back to you.

Study skills

Students often come to the Counselling Service because there are issues which are interfering with their studies. But sometimes the issue is study itself. As well as any assistance you might seek from the Counselling Service, help is also available from the Language and Academic Skills Units.

The Counselling Service has handouts on various aspects of study. These are free and can be picked up from Reception. The Group Program also includes workshops and seminars on relevant topics.

There is a great deal of information on the web regarding study skills. A couple of useful links are provided below.

The La Trobe University Counselling Service has prepared pages on the following topics:

• Study Timetables
• Goal Setting
• Planning and Priorities

Study Skills Links

The following sites have further study skills information. The first is Australian, the second American.

• http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/llsu/resources/index.html
• http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html

This site is run by an Australian book publisher and includes extracts from a range of study related publications:

• http://www.allen-unwin.com.au/estudy.htm

Mature age groups

La Trobe University has a strong commitment to Mature Age and Special Entry students. Each February for many years the Counselling Service has been running special orientation programs to help new students prepare for their first academic year at this university.

Who are the Mature Age Groups for?

Any new Special Entry or Mature Age student enrolled at the Bundoora campus who feels less confident about starting a university course than they would like. The age of past participants has ranged from 21 to 67 years.

How long is the program?

We are aware Special Entry / Mature Age students have many commitments, so we have designed a one day program that aims to be informative, supportive and time efficient.
This group runs for approximately 8 hours, between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm.

Should I come to a Mature Age Group or the general university orientation?

As they cover different things, many people do both. The Mature Age Groups (MAGs) are held before orientation, so the campus is generally quiet and easy to navigate.

What is a MAG?

MAGs are about returning to study and the hopes and fears this entails. They are about getting prepared and connecting with others making a similar journey. The topics addressed include:

• Finding your way around
• Lectures and tutorials – What are they?
• Assistance with Academic Skills
• Support services – What help is available
• Parking, books and stationary, computing, academic etiquette, deciphering your timetable and anything else you want to know!

Each year we ask participants to evaluate the program. Last year, 96% of participants rated their experience as ‘relevant’, with a mean score of 4.6 out of 5.

What difference will a MAG make?

Overall, participants reported a 44% mean increase in confidence from their level before the program. That’s a lot more confident! Many reported ‘feeling more familiar with the surroundings’ while a number identified ‘connecting with other mature-age students’ as a real plus.

So what’s the Uni orientation about?

Welcomes by the Vice Chancellor and your Faculty, introductions to courses, and a chance to sort out your timetable. Some of that can be pretty stressful, so there is also free food and entertainment. The campus really buzzes!

Enough statistics. What have participants actually said?

“Very helpful – The unknown is not quite so terrifying”
“Helped tremendously as it has prepared me for the start of the academic year”
“I have a better feel for the place and its culture”
“I feel welcomed and instead of feeling like an ‘outside’ minority, we have heard of the many advantages of being mature age”
“I have met people doing my course, about my age, which makes me feel more confident”
“I feel more comfortable about navigating physically around the uni, accessing services, and more confident about managing the academic requirements”
“A world of difference. It’s put a human face on the ‘institution’ and built confidence”
“I learnt about services that I may never have known about”
“Now I’m alert but not alarmed”

Anything else I should know?

After you receive you offer of a place at La Trobe University, you’ll get a letter from the Counselling Service telling you about the Mature Age Groups. As the groups fill quickly, it is worth replying promptly. Unfortunately you cannot enrol in a MAG before you have enrolled at La Trobe.

Contacting us