About Â鶹ԭ´´ UC
Promoting and supporting student and staff counselling in universities and colleges

Catriona Keane - Chair

Catriona holds degrees in Psychotherapy, Psychology, and Child and Adolescent Art Psychotherapy. Her training led to extensive experience across a range of mental health settings, enabling her to refine the client group to specialise in working with students. She has spent over a decade working as a University Counsellor in both Ireland and the UK and is currently exploring how art-based methods can be integrated within higher education.

Catriona isÌýthe Head of Student Health and Wellbeing and Counsellor at Magdalene College, Cambridge. She is motivated by the multi-faceted nature of the Executive Committee role and values the opportunity to shape, strengthen, and further develop the counselling provision for students across HE/FE/SFC settings and support members who are part of the division.. She has an interest in the evolving landscape of student mental health provision, in particular with the acceleration of AI therapists and remains curious about how these innovations may, or may not, sit alongside existing therapeutic frameworks.

Email: cmk73@cam.ac.ukÌý

��Afra Turner, Chair of the Research SIG

Afra Turner has over 25 years’ clinical and supervisory experience in the Higher Education sector. Originally qualified as a Psychodynamic Counsellor/Psychotherapist from Birkbeck University of London in 1998, she took additional training as a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, at the University of Oxford in 2011. More recently she successfully completed her Doctorate in Psychotherapy looking at the development of therapists working in the HE sectors, at Metanoia Institute.

Afra currently works in the Counselling and Mental Health Support Team at Kings College London, as a Senior counselling practitioner and supervisor. She also is the external clinical supervisor for student counselling practitioners at two other London University Counselling Services.

Afra currently serves as an Executive member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (Â鶹ԭ´´) University and Colleges Division and is the Chair of the UC Research special interest group. In addition, she is chair of Student Counselling Outcomes Research and Evaluation (SCORE), a practice research network (PRN) formed in 2018 by practitioners working in HE, professional body staff and HE researchers. A year ago Afra joined the UK Chapter of the Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR) Local Committee, to collaborate on psychotherapy research events.

Email:  afra.turner@kcl.ac.uk

Allie Scott, Chair of Head of University Counselling Services (HUCS)

My background in psychology and community education has shaped my longstanding commitment to mental health, social justice and inclusive access to learning. Over the past two decades, I’ve worked across the voluntary and education sectors, supporting young offenders, individuals with complex mental health needs and those unable to engage in formal education—experiences which ultimately led me to specialise in working with students in higher education.

I'm currently the Mental Health & Counselling Manager at the University of the Highlands and Islands, where I lead a regional service across multiple campuses. I'm a Â鶹ԭ´´ accredited pluralistic counsellor and a qualified supervisor for both in-person and online work. I also train and facilitate across counselling courses, Scottish Mental Health First Aid and ASIST.

In addition to my role at UHI, I'm a member of the Scottish Heads of University Counselling Services (SHUCS), Co-Chair of the Mental Wellbeing in Higher Education Expert Group (Advance HE), and Co-Chair for the College Counselling Network Scotland Group. I'm passionate about embedding mental health into the fabric of university life and supporting the sector to evolve in a complex and changing world.

SeeÌýSpecial interest groupsÌýfor details of our HUCS, FE and Staff Counselling sub committees

Emma Wingate

Emma has worked in Higher Education as a Counsellor for over 13 years and is currently a Senior Wellbeing Practitioner (Counselling) at the University of the West of England Bristol. She also has a private practice providing Reflective Supervision across professions including education professionals and the charity sector. She has worked extensively with diverse student populations, providing individual counselling, crisis intervention, and wellness workshops. Her career has been marked by a commitment to fostering supportive and inclusive environments within various types of academic institutions.

Emma recently gave a TED X talk on the Topic of Wellbeing in Education and is interested in bringing creative approaches to mental health and wellbeing including having commissioned a play about the university experience. In her executive role, Emma hopes to help colleagues connect and share best practice across the sector in order to address the unique challenges faced by students in further and higher education.

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Carol McCloskey

I work as the Staff Counsellor at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB), where I coordinate and deliver a confidential counselling service for university staff.Ìý Before joining AUB I worked mainly in private practice (and I continue to have a small private practice) and also spent several years as a volunteer bereavement counsellor at a local hospice.

Prior to my counselling career, I spent over 25 years as a qualitative researcher working in health, social care, education and the charity sector. This involved focus groups, in‑depth interviews and stakeholder consultations with service users and professionals looking at service development, information and support needs and policy development. For a few years I specialised in Cancer and Palliative care, and it was during this time that I started counsellor training, initially thinking it would help me be a better researcher (which I think it did).Ìý

I feel that a key part of my role as Chair of the SIG Staff Counselling is ensuring that staff feel heard and supported within a sector that is often, and understandably, very student‑focused - helping to keep the staff voice engaged, valued and included. I am keen to connect with counsellors across the sector who work with staff, with the aim of sharing best practice, supporting each other and strengthening this professional network.

Kate Ashley, Editor, University and College Counselling

I'm an integrative therapist working in private practice and editor of the Â鶹ԭ´´'s University and College Counselling journal. My core training includes a Level 4 Certificate in Counselling and MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy, both from the University of the West of England and I draw from person-centred, psychodynamic and Gestalt modalities, as well as parts work and social justice approaches. I'm a member of Â鶹ԭ´´, CaPPP, Talk to the Rainbow and a network of local queer therapists. I live and work in Bristol.

Email:Ìýucc.editorial@bacp.co.uk