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Alma universitas studiorum parmensis A.D. 962 - Università di Parma
Università degli Studi di Parma

Psychological Counselling Service

Free psychological support for students, researchers, academic staff and technical-administrative staff.

Dedicated to students, research staff, academic staff and technical-administrative staff of the University, and to all members of the Academic Community, the service is provided by a team of psychologists who offer free support in response to any difficulty that may affect continuity of studies or wellbeing in the workplace.

Psychological counselling is a short-term process, of up to a maximum of 5 sessions, based on the building of a helping relationship, aimed at reorganising the individual's resources and developing appropriate strategies to cope with difficult situations.

The psychological counselling service offered by the University of Parma is an inclusive service that aims to help individuals think positively about their future, by strengthening dimensions such as resilience, self-esteem, assertiveness, hope and optimism, and by fostering social inclusion among students and staff. Counselling employs specific procedures for support and guidance, based on providing attentive and high-quality listening.

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How to Access

To access the service, please contact us exclusively by email at counseling@unipr.it

Within four days, a psychologist from the team will respond to the request by sending a form to be completed, and will provide information regarding availability or waiting times for the first appointment. If necessary, a preliminary phone call will be proposed to better define the need and assess whether to begin the process or refer to other services.

Appointments will be scheduled from Monday to Friday, generally between 8:00 and 18:00, subject to the availability of both the service users and the consultants.

Sessions may take place in the following formats, to be agreed upon:

  • In person at the CAI, p.le S. Francesco 2 (Parma city centre area)
  • In person at the Centro Sant'Elisabetta, within the University Campus on Via Langhirano
  • Online via the Teams platform

Counselling Sessions: How They Work: How They Work

One-to-one counselling is a form of support aimed at those who wish to focus on and address personal difficulties (emotional, affective, behavioural and interpersonal issues of various kinds) that fall within the "normal" challenges of one's life cycle, with the aim of fostering the reorganisation or strengthening of one's own resources (internal, family and extra-family) and enhancing one's quality of life. As with other forms of counselling, the consultant does not make diagnoses or treat symptoms, but instead accompanies the individual on an interactive learning journey, generated through the encounter and the opportunity to feel "actively" listened to, free from judgement.

Guidance counselling is aimed at supporting and strengthening the active search for and critical reading of information regarding: the educational offer, the organisation and academic pathway of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, and post-graduate opportunities. Guidance sessions are designed to explore the psycho-individual characteristics of the person (interests, motivations, abilities and transversal skills, personal aspects, etc.).

Learning counselling aims to assess the study methods of students experiencing difficulties, in order to evaluate the scope for improvement and enhance their performance, providing support throughout their academic journey in terms of resources, self-confidence, problem-solving and self-efficacy. Based on the assessment of the consultant and the team, students may be placed in groups of individuals with similar difficulties, in order to harness the potential of peer counselling.

Group counselling fosters the personal growth of individuals in interpersonal and social relationships, by increasing awareness of one's own resources, aptitudes and abilities, drawing on the dynamics that emerge from the group itself through the counsellor. During group sessions, specific themes are addressed in which participants engage in shared reflection aimed at fostering change.

The Counselling Service for the Prevention and Management of Addictions, active since January 2020, consists of a specialised helping relationship aimed at finding solutions for individuals with issues relating to the use, misuse and dependency on legal and illegal substances, as well as for all those exhibiting other addictive behaviours. Here too, the sessions, although more structured, are characterised by unconditional acceptance and active listening.