Programmes and Services are provided to:

 

We offer free, confidential, professional individual and group counselling services, which are supplemented by self-help programmes and workshops, to Nelson Mandela University students on all campuses. A wide variety of self-help resources such as brochures and workshop content are available on our website and our physical resource centres in all campuses where student counselling is offered: South, North, 2nd Avenue, George and Missionvale Campuses. Numerous programmes are presented and are packaged in relation to academic issues, career choice and planning, personal, social and emotional issues, and wellness. Students interested in personal growth to improve learning skills, relationships, health or lifestyles are invite.

In executing its mission, ESW offers three broad ‘umbrella’ areas of service delivery to Nelson Mandela University students. The three service areas relate to the psychology of learning, career development, and psychological wellbeing. Each service area is planned and driven by a specific team, each with its own coordinator.  
 
Students are also indirectly served by ESW staff serving on institutional and faculty committees and collaborative project teams, by conducting research on students and their behaviours, and by disseminating research findings to the university community.  
 
Service Area 1: Psychological Wellbeing 
 
Interventions offered to students within this service area aims to relieve psychological distress and to enhance student wellness by offering psychosocial programmes, counselling, and psychotherapeutic services. Services are delivered on an ongoing basis, using multiple platforms (face-to-face and a variety of electronic platforms), and include:  
 
Individual counselling
  • Group counselling programmes - ranging between 4 and 6 sessions per programme
  • Psycho-educational workshops
  • Radio talks
  • Psycho-educational e-pamphlets
Service Area 2: Career Counselling 
 
Interventions offered to students from within this service area aim to promote meaningful access, retention and success. This aim is reached by ensuring, as far as possible, that registered and prospective students make decisions which are appropriate and likely to lead to fulfilling and meaningful life-career decisions and that our students are well prepared and equipped for the world of work. 
 
More specifically, counsellors strive to: (a) assist learners and students to be better able to make career decisions that are appropriate and likely to lead to fulfilling and meaningful life-career development, (b) maintain engagement with our current students via digital platforms to offer career exploration to those considering course changes, and (c) enhance students’ career development, job search, and employability skills.
 
Service Area 3: The Psychology of Learning
 
Services offered within this service area are remedial (in assisting with the management and treatment of learning disorders), preventative and developmental in nature, and are geared towards assisting students to define themselves within the learning space. As such, counselling services contribute to the emergence of self-regulated students by shifting the focus from academic skill development to increased self-awareness, academic self-responsibility and self-efficacy within the academic sphere.