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Therapeutic groups for students

PhD Students' Therapeutic Support Group

Are you a PhD student who:

  • has a mental health diagnosis
  • has physical health problems
  • has specific learning needs that cause difficulty or distress
  • is struggling with confidence, engagement, relationships, loneliness or loss?

If you feel you would benefit from some exploration and support as you pursue your PhD, please consider referring yourself to this ongoing, reflective, therapeutic support group facilitated by the Birkbeck Counselling Service (and co-funded by the BGRS).

The group meets weekly online via MS Teams, Fridays at 11.30-1pm. It is already established and has been running successfully since January 2022. Spaces become available on an occasional basis.

To express interest please citing 'PhD Group' in the subject and listing your full name, student number, phone number and preferred email address.

How big is the group?

  • The group has up to eight members.

Who runs the group?

  • It is run by group facilitator Jo Myddelton, who is a Senior Counsellor in the Birkbeck Counselling Service, and a Groupwork Practitioner (accred. Institute of Group Analysis).

Will everyone else know each other?

  • You would be joining an already established group. We make every effort that members are not known to each other prior to joining the group. Spaces become available on an occasional basis.

How long would I be joining for?

  • Members join for a minimum of 20 sessions. Following completion of these and upon discussion in the group, members may be able to access up to a further 20 sessions. Notice of leaving is required - four weeks is preferable.

Who is eligible to join?

  • Students should be currently enrolled on a PhD programme with Birkbeck. Group members must be living in the UK: we are not able to offer students who are resident overseas a place in the group.

Is it all online?

  • The majority of sessions take place online via MS Teams. The group meets in person at Birkbeck once a term.

How is it different to one-to-one counselling at Birkbeck?

  • Generally one-to-one counselling at Birkbeck is time-limited: clients are offered a maximum of seven 50-minute sessions in an academic year, as opposed to up to forty 90-minute sessions in the group. In the group, members benefit from other PhD candidates’ experiences as group members are generally at differing stages of their theses. The group works through members coming together on a regular basis to talk as openly as they can with each other about their thoughts and feelings. This facilitates meaningful relationships, allowing for insight and adjustment over time. Usual patterns of thinking and behaviour are considered and challenged so that there is the possibility of long-lasting and creative change.

What is the application process like?

  • You will first meet with a counsellor from the Birkbeck Counselling Service. If the group seems suitable for your situation, you will then meet with the group’s facilitator Jo. If the group does not seem the best option for you, you may be offered some short-term individual counselling sessions or else signposted to other forms of support.