This article will prove you with information on seeking advice and support on sex, gender, sexual orientation and sexuality.

It is always advisable to let your personal tutor or course leader know if you are having difficulties affecting your studies - they are there to help, and can offer useful advice and support. It is also advisable to consult your GP if you are feeling persistently low, or if your difficulties are significantly affecting your daily functioning.

The Student Wellbeing Service is available to all students free of charge and is experienced in providing confidential support to students around issues of sex, gender, sexuality and sexual orientation. We can also facilitate finding appropriate specialist support where relevant.

For more general support, you may find one or more of our courses and workshops helpful in teaching useful skills to promote your wellbeing. The list of recommended resources will give some ideas for other strategies or sources of support:

 

Student Wellbeing Service

The Student Wellbeing Service offers confidential help with a wide range of personal and emotional concerns and is available to every student at the University, free of charge. All kinds of students find their way to us from all over the University and for all sorts of reasons.

The service has three strands: wellbeing advice, counselling, and mental health advice. They are all linked together so when you apply you only have to approach us once – we will sort out which one is most likely to meet your needs.

To contact us or register for support see our article on accessing support from the Student Wellbeing Service.

 

Courses and workshops

The Student Wellbeing Service hosts a range of workshops and courses for learning skills to tackle common issues like stress, anxiety and low mood. Consult our course and workshop programme to see if any of them seem relevant to your concerns.

All students also have free access to a set of short online courses, called SilverCloud, to learn evidence-based strategies for tackling the common issues of stress, anxiety, depression and poor body image. These courses can be accessed confidentially and completed independently, in your own time and at your own pace. Find out more and register directly from the online resources article.

 

Other resources

If you would like to research more around the topic of sex and sexuality, the Student Wellbeing Service can recommend the following self help resources:

  • NHS sexual health information
  • Families Together London
    London-based support and information service for friends and families of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual people, run by parent volunteers, recognising that family often have questions or fears that they may benefit from talking about with others who have had similar experiences. The organisation works towards a society that offers fair and equal treatment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Includes a telephone helpline and information on further resources
  • IMAAN
    Europe's biggest charity supporting LGBTQI Muslims.
  • Pink Therapy
    'As an organisation we aim to promote high quality therapy and training services for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and others who identify as being gender or sexual diversities. There is a whole spectrum of different gender and sexual expressions and we welcome those who are engaged in consensual, albeit transgressive sexualities who are seeking a place to understand and be understood.'
  • Chrysalis
    Chrysalis, the charity supporting transgender and questioning people, their families and close friends - Support groups available in Portsmouth and surrounding areas.

 

Library Books

The University library has copies of the following books which could be useful:

  • Ford, V - Overcoming Sexual Problems - 616.85830651/FOR

You can search the Library Catalogue here.

Phone: +44 (0)23 9284 3466

Email: wellbeing-admin@port.ac.uk.

Location: The Bateson Centre, The Mary Rose St, Portsmouth, PO1 2BL

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