Pastoral care for students and staff

What we offer

We as chaplains offer pastoral care for any student or member of staff at the University of Glasgow, regardless of faith or belief. You will be given a warm welcome. Our model of pastoral care is one of ‘accompaniment’, which means that we draw alongside you, wherever you’re at, and walk with you. We also welcome conversations about faith and spirituality and will explore your questions or concerns with you. If requested, we offer Christian reflection and prayer or can refer you to another chaplain or advisor from the wider honorary team. Frequently, our support is valued especially in times of academic stress, anxiety, crisis, bereavement, illness, but it is not limited to these areas.

What to expect

We offer supportive one-to-one conversations, usually here in one of the Chaplaincy offices (but we can also meet elsewhere for a cuppa or a walk). We’ll offer you a cuppa and a comfortable seat, and then we will listen to whatever you wish to explore.

Some examples of areas you might wish to talk about:

  • Challenges/struggles to do with religious belonging or faith community
  • Relationship difficulties
  • Family and faith
  • A decision you’re considering
  • Loneliness
  • Life transitions
  • Sexuality
  • Gender identity
  • A negative experience you’ve had
  • Loss and grief

This might be a one-off conversation or we might meet a few times, depending on what is going on for you. We may also recommend that you access other services alongside ourselves, and we have links with several specialist sources of help.

Making an appointment

You can arrange an appointment with one of the staff chaplains by emailing us at: chaplaincy@gla.ac.uk. One of the Chaplains will then be in contact with you to arrange a suitable time to meet. We aim to do this as quickly as possible.

Other sources of support

It may be that for particular periods of time in your life, you need more than one type of support. The Inter-faith Chaplaincy forms part of Student Support and Wellbeing, and we work closely with our colleagues in:

We may well suggest one of these areas of support but information will only be shared with these colleagues with your permission.

If you are a student, and would prefer to speak to a fellow-student, you can access support for mild mental health issues through the Peer Wellbeing Support service:
www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/peersupport

In addition there are Student Support Officers based in each of the four Colleges and in Halls of Residence who provide essential signposting services:
www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/students/supportofficers

If you need help right away, there is a University of Glasgow 24/7 Student Counselling and Advice Line: 0800 028 3766. You can also download the app here:
www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/students/safetyhealth

If you’re not sure who to turn to, please do contact us. We’re happy to help signpost you to the right place(s).