Dr Laura Thompson
Lead Uni Psychologist with over 15 years experience working in psychology.
Laura will assess your support needs and assign your coach. She also offers individual and group sessions, so you can request to meet directly.
Laura is passionate about arming students with the insights, tools and encouragement necessary to ‘unstick’ areas in which they feel stuck and implement lasting change.
Laura specialises in work-related stress, anxiety, performance and burnout. As well as being BPS Chartered Psychologist and Coaching Psychologist, she is Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a published academic author and has a background as a Senior University Lecturer, Programme Director & consultant. As an applied psychologist, Laura values science-backed practice and theory, but above all her focus is on building a safe, compassionate and down-to-earth coaching relationship. Having studied to doctoral level herself she understands – like all Uni Psychologist coaches – that uni life isn’t always a smooth ride.
What is Coaching Psychology?
A professional discipline that draws on theories and evidence of the psychological mechanisms of human functioning to inform evidence-based coaching practice.
Coaching psychology encourages sustainable change through new ways of thinking, acting and relating – focussing on both the here-and-now and future to craft artful, science-backed, solutions to challenges. Proactive, ‘you’ centred, results focussed.
Find out more from the British Psychological Society for evidence-based insights on the psychology of coaching.
What are Coaching Psychologists?
We’re experienced psychologists who support self-insight, performance, development, and wellbeing using psychology- informed coaching approaches.
Lead Uni Psychologist, Dr Laura Thompson, and affiliate Uni Psychologist coaches are all Chartered Psychologists and/or accredited Coaching Psychologists, on the BPS Register of Coaching Psychologists.
Coaching psychologists are ‘scientist-practitioners’: our work is ethically, empirically and theoretically based. A combination of evidence base, theoretical knowledge, codes of conduct and thorough training, ensures we deliver ethical practice and interventions to clients. We continually seek to evaluate our practice to enable future professional development.
As with all psychologists, our work is subject to ethical, cultural, and reflective practice through supervision, to help achieve client’s goals.
Supportive and solution-focussed, coaching is not the same as therapy and exploration of trauma will be gently discouraged.
Approaches we might use
- Cognitive behavioural coaching
- Acceptance and commitment coaching
- Compassion focussed coaching
- Solution focussed coaching
- Humanistic coaching
- Motivational interviewing
- Self determination theory
- Positive psychology
Urgent, no cost & mental health support
University life isn’t always plain sailing and help is available if you’re struggling.
The Uni Psychologist does not offer emergency support.
If you are experiencing a mental health or wellbeing crisis, reach out immediately.
If you’re in immediate danger of hurting yourself or others:
- Go directly to the Accident & Emergency (A&E) department of your local hospital to get help
- Call 999 to request an ambulance if you are unable to reach the hospital yourself
If you’re feeling distressed and need urgent support:
- Contact your GP surgery to request an emergency appointment Find your nearest GP.
- If your GP surgery isn’t open, call the free NHS out-of-hours medical line on 111 for help accessing the right services
- You can call the Samaritans on 116 123 to talk to someone at any time, day or night
- Nightline are a listening service for students, by students – they’re available overnight via live web chat 6pm – 2am
Coaching promotes performance, productivity and positive mental wellbeing, but is different to therapy. Find out more about free mental health support options, including counselling for students and Disabled Students Allowance (DSA).
Student Space is run by Student Minds, the UK’s student mental health charity, and offers information, advice and dedicated support services for students.
The MIND website also offers free support and information.
The Uni Psychologist offers a number of funded coaching bursaries each year. Sign up to our newsletter for updates.
Fees
How much?
£80 for a single full session (50 minutes)
£76 per session for bundles of 3 or more full sessions (50 minutes)
Where relevant, additional resources, exercises or signposting may be shared with you after the session in a follow up email (included in fee).
We also offer group coaching starting from £40 per session, online, on-demand, self-coaching courses from £15 and downloadable self-coaching guides. Sign up to our newsletter for updates or register your interest by completing the form below.
How often?
You might benefit from a single session or longer term (e.g. fortnightly) support. This depends on your goal and your preference. Most students opt for at least 3-6 full sessions, scheduled over 2-3 months.
Discounts?
Sign up to our newsletter for upcoming offers and news of bursaried sessions.
Another support request?
Other bespoke academic and support services can be quoted on request – email hello@theunipsychologist.com
Apply for a coaching session
Compassionate and conversational, coaching sessions target a particular uni dilemma e.g. work-related stress, procrastination, self esteem, overwhelm, research skills.
50 minutes, 1:1, online, the aim is to get to the core of your personal challenge, expand your ‘toolkit’ of emotional/practical resources and leave you feeling more supported.
Complete the form below and you’ll be sent a booking and payment link.
Our slots book up quickly. Contact us as soon as possible – even if you are not looking to start coaching immediately.