Pembroke College Cambridge

Personal and Emotional Problems

The College is not only concerned with individual students' academic development, but with their wellbeing too, and we realise that students may feel a great deal of anxiety and stress from time to time.  This may be due to the demands of an unfamiliar situation, the stress of studying or it may stem from personal reasons unconnected to a student's academic life. Often talking over a problem with someone can make things seem better. In College there are a number of people available whom you can approach - your Tutor, the Tutor for Graduate Affairs, the College Wellbeing and Disabilities Nurse, the College Nurse, the Dean or another senior member of College.  The College Nurse, Mrs Sarah Winder-Worsley, is normally in her surgery (G11, Red Buildings) during term Monday – Friday, 09.30-14.30. She can attend to many minor physical ailments and give advice and help with any anxieties about health. To make a confidential appointment please use her Moodle course

Depending on your situation, you might also find it helpful to take up support suggestions listed on University’s Student Wellbeing pages. There are links to a wealth of advice and information, as well as to the University Counselling Service (see below) and to sources of emergency support (refer also to the Porters’ Lodge on 01223 338100 for emergency support; the porters are also able to contact the tutors in an emergency).

If you feel that the problem requires professional counselling then you should consult your doctor or the University Counselling Service. Any consultations with the service are confidential, although it might be beneficial to you to inform the College Wellbeing and Disabilities Nurse and/or your Tutor in case there is an impact on your work. The service is free of charge and is normally for a set number of consultations  (about 4) in the first instance. It is situated at the Student Services Centre (3rd floor), New Museums Site (telephone: (3)32865). Appointments can be made by telephoning the Reception (dial 9 if you are not using an internal telephone, and then 332865) or by email. Leaflets about  the UCS's services and ways of dealing with stress are available in the photocopying room in the College Library. Your Tutor or the Wellbeing and Disabilities Nurse  can assist in requesting an earlier appointment if your situation makes that appropriate.

Counselling in Pembroke College

To supplement resources available at the University Counselling Service, the College is able to draw on Loraine Gelsthorpe, Fellow of Pembroke, and Tutor for Graduate Affairs, as a UKCP registered and accredited trained counsellor and psychoanalytic psychotherapist, and five other counsellors:  Anna Lees (a CBT specialist), William Filipski-McDonald (a UKCP trainee), Bella Stewart (a UKCP registered and accredited psychoanalytical psychotherapist), Deborah Meyler (a UKCP trainee).   We are also able to draw on Ishtla Singh (UKCP registered and accredited psychoanalytical psychotherapist – who is particularly available for BAME students) and a wide range of other counsellors and therapists (male and female) who are members of the Cambridge network. This in-house provision can be particularly useful when the UCS is closed, or when there are long waiting lists, or where it is known from the outset that long term or specialist support might be needed – beyond that which the UCS can usually offer.     Loraine can be contacted directly on lrg10@cam.ac.uk (in or out of term except for very brief periods away from Cambridge). (In emergencies the College Porters have her home number details, as they do for all the tutors).   Referrals can be direct to Loraine Gelsthorpe, or via Jan Brighting, College Wellbeing and Disabilities Nurse. There is normally an assessment session to see what might be suitable/available. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, students do not have to pay for College-arranged counselling.

Student support

Both the Graduate Parlour (GP) and Junior Parlour (JP) have welfare officers who can offer support to students. 

Other sources of help

  • The Samaritans: 364455 (24hr, seven days/week). The Samaritans are trained listeners who are willing to talk and listen to people in difficulty or despair.
  • Linkline: 367575, 7pm - 8am every night of full term. This is similar to the Samaritans, but run by students.
  • The University Occupational Health Service based at Fenner's, Gresham Road, (3)36597 is able to offer advice on students going abroad during vacation periods or for research purposes. The Service is open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday by appointment, except for emergencies.
  • Mental Health Crises out of hours  - the number to call 111 Option 2