Groups

Take a look at the groups and events you could get involved in. To book a place on any of our groups please visit the SAW events website.

Bibliotherapy Groups

These groups have been developed to complement our Bibliotherapy initiative.

Reading for Wellbeing

The Counselling and Mental Health Team in connection with Library Services and with support from the Student Union has introduced its own collection of therapeutic books. Throughout the year there will be online or face to face group events focusing on a particular book or subject. You do not need to have read the book to attend. These groups will be a way of exploring your feelings around a particular book or subject with a chance to voice your thoughts. Where appropriate some groups will be attended by the authors themselves and/or members of local community/organisations. For further information on these groups please email Debbie Burns from the LJMU Counselling Service. To view our groups and to book a place please see SAW events.

Writing for Wellbeing

Would you like just an hour’s space to sit with your thoughts and do some expressive writing to get stuff out of your head and onto paper? This group offers a safe and relaxed space for free-writing in response to short prompts – such as images, words, or poetry. You do not need to be a writer or a poet to attend, just a willingness to take part and go with wherever your writing takes you!

These workshops enable you to focus on the process of writing rather than any product or output: giving yourself permission to just ‘write without rules’ about whatever emerges from your pen or pencil has the potential to lead to insights, revelations, and greater self-awareness.

There is no obligation for you to share your writing in the session, though participants can benefit from sharing and listening to different personal reflections about this process of writing for the self.

Sessions are led by Dr Anne-Marie Smith, senior lecturer in the School of Education and a qualified and experienced Writing for Wellbeing practitioner.

To book a place please see SAW events.

Neurodiversity Support Groups

While any population can be understood as neurodiverse, the term is synonymous with the 1 in 5 people that are considered to have a neurodevelopmental condition. These can include ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Tourette’s. Often, they do not occur independently, and co-occurring conditions are common. While many people function well with these conditions, many others’ experience the impact in their learning, relationships and self-esteem. This is recognised along with an increase in mental health difficulties for those with neurodevelopmental conditions.

In Person Group

We are providing a safe space to bring together people with their own experience of living with neurodevelopmental conditions. Facilitated by Steven Dee from the LJMU Counselling Service, with opportunity to share and learn from other’s experience, people are encouraged to join in person. To book a place please see SAW events.

Online Group

We are providing number of online, peer group, gatherings to support those with neurodevelopmental conditions, and for those who want to know more. With focus on various topics surrounding neurodiversity, each online group aims to help, inform and empower.

Facilitated by Steven Dee from the LJMU Counselling Service, with opportunity to share and learn from other’s experience, people are encouraged to engage in a way that suits them. To book a place please see SAW events.