Health and wellbeing support

Your physical and emotional health is important and looking after them will ensure you get the most out of university life. We provide easy access to health and wellbeing services, and we encourage you to take advantage of them.

University Health Centre

The University Health Centre is available for support with a range of physical health and wellbeing issues and offers many of the same services as other NHS surgeries in the area.

It is located on the Stag Hill campus and is part of the Guildowns Group Practice.

Centre for Wellbeing

The Centre for Wellbeing is available to support your health, emotional and psychological wellbeing so that you can reach your full potential during your time at Surrey. Support available includes:

  • Mental health support
  • Help with eating disorders
  • Health and wellbeing advice
  • Guidance on the management of stress
  • Counselling services
  • Workshops
  • Specialised initiatives and events.

MySurrey website

Health and wellbeing advice is available for students on the wellbeing pages of the MySurrey website. 

This includes a large help section provided to support students on a range of issues.

Support services

The University of Surrey and its partner organisations, provide a number of options for you from peer support in faculties, Nightline run by students, to therapy available from the Centre for Wellbeing.

There is something for everyone, all listed services are free and confidential. 

University services

You don't have to be religious or spiritual to attend events at the Chaplaincy or use our faith and spirituality services. 

Our chaplains are from all faiths and beliefs and offer confidential, discreet and non-judgemental one-to-one pastoral care. They also promote dialogue and peaceful co-existence between people of different faiths and beliefs.

Peer supporters are students who can provide you with a confidential space to talk and be listened to.

They are not counsellors, however, they have been carefully selected and trained in listening, questioning and responding to ensure they are able to help other students reach their own solutions.

Find out more about getting peer support.

The Students’ Union Support Zone is there to assist students with a range of needs, queries and concerns.

The Support Zone also runs a range of campaigns throughout the academic year on various support topics, which are tailored towards the needs of students at Surrey, including their Let’s Talk campaign encouraging students to talk about the issues that matter most to them.

Nightline is a listening service for students, run by trained student volunteers. You can contact them to talk about any problem, ask a few questions or get something off your chest.

Nightline is confidential and anonymous, so you don't have to tell us anything about yourself, not even your name, and the content of the call never leaves Nightline.

Nightline is available 7pm – 7am, Monday to Friday, during term time by phone or the online chat service on the Students’ Union website.

Partner services

The Safe Haven service in Guildford is open to anyone experiencing a mental health crisis. It is located on Walnut Tree Close, just a few minutes' walk from the Stag Hill campus and Guildford town centre.

Safe Haven is open 6pm – 11pm, seven days a week and 365 days a year.

  • They also run daily drop-in sessions for peer and wellbeing support between 6pm – 8pm. No pre-booking is required and everyone is welcome.
  • We are also available to offer crisis support virtually. This virtual service is available from 6pm to 11pm.

Guildford Samaritans are open to anyone who quite simply wants to talk. They are available for both face-to-face and phone contact and offer a safe, non-threatening space to talk through your problems in complete confidence.

The Samaritans are based in Guildford town centre, close to the Guildford Cricket Club, and you can visit them between 12 noon – 9:30pm, seven days a week, with no appointment needed.

You can also call them on +44 (0)1483 505555 (local rates apply) or 116 123 (Freephone) or email them at jo@samaritans.org.

The NHS offers talking therapy services, particularly for anxiety and/or low mood. You need to be registered with a GP in this area to be eligible. You can refer yourself either online or by phone, and don’t need to go through your GP.

Useful links:

The University offers two NHS talking therapy services for students on campus:

Visit the Mind Matters NHS website and view their video to find out more about talking therapies and how they can help you. 

Student Space is available to make it easier for you to find the support that you need during the Coronavirus pandemic.

However you’re feeling, help and guidance is available. Explore a range of trusted information, services and tools to help you with the challenges of student life.

The support provided by Student Space is safe, confidential and developed with students and experts in student wellbeing and mental health. New services and information will be added to the platform on a regular basis in line with emerging student needs to ensure that it is relevant to you.

Student Space is run by Student Minds, the UK’s student mental health charity. It has been developed collaboratively with services, higher education professionals, researchers and students to complement the existing services available to students.