Counselling and psychological support
The GIAP provides a private space for individual intervention, based on an empathic and supportive relationship, allowing the student to develop responses and adaptive strategies to resolve their personal difficulties, promoting self-knowledge, success and well-being. The most common student concerns include: Anxiety and Panic | Depression | Bereavement and Loss | Family Problems | Conflicts with colleagues | Questions about the course | Study Skills| Homesickness.
Counselling and Psychological support services are concentrated in P.PORTO’s Presidency services, but we ensure weekly travel to geographically distant schools - Vila do Conde, Póvoa de Varzim and ESTGF (in Felgueiras).
P.PORTO has a protocol with the Psychiatric Services of Hospital de S. João, which enables students that are followed at GIAP to be seen by their psychiatrists.
Participation Fees
Participation Rules
Relaxation and stress reduction groups
The GIAP offers a structured program (Programa Estruturado) of 4 weekly relaxation sessions (90 minutes/session) comprising learning moments and training of physical and mental relaxation induction skills, in order to reduce body tension, anxiety and improve self-awareness and emotional control.
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Participation Fees
Participation Rules
Embaixadores P.PORTO@Saúde Mental 2020 (Mental health ambassadors programme)
Mental health ambassadors programme P.PORTO@Saúde Mental 2020 offers a cycle of thematic training sessions over a period of six weeks to promote mental health and well-being in P.PORTO’s community. The selection of the programme's themes considered the results of an investigation carried out by GIAP, the analysis of the main problems identified when assisting student in this service, and the objectives proposed in Europe 2020.
The program includes the following modules: Anxiety | Panic | Depression | Bereavement and Loss | Shyness and Social Anxiety | Self-mutilation | Suicidal Ideation | Violence in Dating Relationships| Discrimination and Prejudice | Eating Disorders | Drug Use and Abuse | Gambling.
With a very practical methodology, the training sessions enable a better understanding of each problem and its warning signs, the identification of effective strategies to help, and knowledge of the existing support structures in the local community. Having created the mental health ambassadors programme, the challenge shifts to the students and the need for them to be more proactive when facing difficult situations or crisis because they are more aware and competent.
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Participation Fees
Participation rules
Special Educational Needs
In supporting the inclusion of students with special educational needs, GIAP provides: answers to requests for information, recommendations and referrals; needs assessment and expert support, and the implementation of outreach activities and information for P.PORTO’s community. Due to our belief in equal opportunities and full integration of all students in academic life, the rights of students with SEN are taken into account in the Regulation of the Special Statutes of P.PORTO’s Students (Regulamento de Estatutos Especiais dos Estudantes).
P.PORTO’s GIAP is part of the Support for Students with Disabilities in Higher Education Working Group (Grupo de Trabalho para Apoio a Estudantes com Deficiências no Ensino Superior).
