Student Affairs and Service Quality: Health Sciences & Medicine

“Felicity is the Best Proof:

I could not recommend seeing Felicity highly enough. Having never had any type of counselling in the past, it was only when I was in “crisis” mode that another student suggested going to see her. I was extremely hesitant, however was quickly put at ease and actually enjoy our regular catch ups. Felicity’s approach is highly practical and hands on, which is exactly what my A type personality needed.

It was such a pleasant surprise to actually enjoy doing something that had been so taboo previously. Felicity has been extremely supportive throughout my experience with her, going above and beyond as my ally.”

“I was recommended to Felicity by one of my professors after I addressed that I was having difficulty in school due to dealing with anxiety with a new environment and recently experienced some trauma. Being in the HSM faculty, Felicity was able to help make adjustments in the classroom and examinations in order for me to excel. She was also able to introduce me to a variety of techniques in order to help me heal from all that I was experiencing at that time. She was the easiest person to talk to and confide in. She always went out of her way to make sure she could schedule an appointment with me for that week. Had it not been for the professors in my faculty and Felicity, I do not think I would have excelled in the way that I did. Would highly recommend Felicity to any student who feels like the demands of university and life are a little too much to handle on their own!”

“Counselling in 2019 was one of the most important factors that helped me with coping in my course. For the longest time I thought that I had to suffer alone and deal with these problems on my own. It was only after hitting rock bottom that I finally was forced to admit I couldn’t deal with this on my own. My only regret with counselling, was that I was miserable for so long and didn't ask for help sooner.”

“I have just successfully finished medical school. Felicity supported me through all of year 5. I met with her one-on-one almost every month and she followed up on my progress through the year.
There were many times that my workload felt like a huge mountain to cross over. After speaking to her about it, it felt like multiple smaller hurdles that were spread out of over a large amount of time. She helped me manage my time more efficiently. This involved balancing full-time placement hours, studying for final exams, completing a research MD project, house chores, adjusting to moving homes and applying for internship... all whilst giving attention to the things that I value most in life such as my health, church services and family. She helped me make realistic plans to meet all of my important deadlines.
Felicity was always easily contactable and she even kindly supported me when I was out of town for my elective. I recall one sad day at hospital when I was feeling fatigued from long work hours and observed a case of breaking bad news. This was too much for my heart to handle and how could I call my parents? How could I open up to them about such a devastating story like this? They were at work, and they were also going through their own stressful times too. Furthermore, I didn't feel comfortable contacting any of the hospital counselling services or supervisors because I still barely knew my way around. So I emailed Felicity and within an hour she called me back. She talked me through the distress I was going through and gave me just the right advice that I needed to cope.
Finally, Felicity helped me leading up to year 5 OSCEs. After year 4 OSCEs, I felt the nerves creeping up on me again and wasn't feeling super confident even though I had studied way harder for it this year. She gave me the words of encouragement that I needed to hear. I am happy to say that I successfully passed the OSCEs.
I am so thankful for all of Felicity's help. I feel that my overall wellbeing was significantly improved in year 5 due to her excellent support. She was always kind, caring and patient with me. Her advice was always centred around my personal values. I highly recommend her support to all medical students - for guidance, advice and for the prevention of mental illness.”

Soon after arriving in QLD to start Medicine, with no family and no prior connections here, I was diagnosed with clinical depression, something that I had suspected for a while. So I decided to visit Felicity, and for that I will always thank my past self.

Felicity offers a service that is relevant, confidential and effective. Part of what makes her so effective is that she knows the ins and outs of the HSM faculty, the health system, but also trials and tribulations of student life. Other psychologists may not have this unique outlook and understanding.

I have felt comfortable opening up about troubles with study, friends, housemates, family in my sessions, and feel acknowledged and heard. This is so important when you have little to no control over many aspects of your life as a Med student, whether that be random timetabling, cancelled lectures, lack of financial freedom etc.

Bottom line, Felicity has helped me find my way here in QLD, where I was initially quite lost. I would highly recommend other students see her and bounce whatever problems you have off her. You are not alone, although sometimes it may very well feel like it. Felicity may be the missing link you need in moving towards a happier place.”

“When I first decided I wanted to access the counselling services at Bond, I was not in a situation in which I felt the immediate need for per se. However, I felt like sharing some of my feelings and thoughts about starting a PhD and HDR journey.

In my sessions with Felicity, she has been wonderful and of great help. The environment of her office is friendly, welcoming and warm. Felicity took passive and active roles during my counselling. Sometimes, she just listened to me explaining my situation or concerns but moreover she then provided constructive ideas on how to improve a particular situation or work on emotions.

I would recommend anyone to go and see if counselling is something they would like to explore, even if it is just to share their story about their individual HDR journey.”

“Felicity’s support and advice has been invaluable. She has helped me through a really tough time and gave me the strategies required to continue to get the most out of placement. 

Having a dedicated student support officer is, in my opinion, the best initiative Bond has had over the course of my degree.”

I really am so thankful for the help this year; I don’t think I would’ve made it through without it.”

“Studying medicine is a very demanding process and can get overwhelming at times. It can be easy to lose track of the big picture amongst the demands of hospital and personal study.

Felicity's practical approach is very valuable in helping you realise what is important to you in life and identify positive abilities we possess. She helped me prepare for my second OSCE attempt which was invaluable in allowing me to clear my mind of doubts as much as possible and I ended up scoring better second time around. Our session gave me renewed confidence moving forward in the course and I think it helped bring the best out of me. 

So if you are ever in need of help, just go and seek out for it. It is better to talk about it rather than to bottle it up. Felicity's service is a safe and professional way to do so.” 

“Counselling with Felicity has really helped me in this past year. We discussed the various things that I was having difficulty with (not necessarily related to my studies), and more importantly, Felicity helped me actively work on these problems. I believe these techniques will help me for a long time to come, as well as help me build resilience for any future challenges. I would recommend Felicity for any student with problems that are weighing heavily on their minds and more. She is supportive and non-judgemental.”

“I initially came to Felicity for personal stress outside of university that was affecting my studies. I found Felicity very relatable, understanding and really helpful in assisting my stress management and wellbeing.

After a great experience, I returned to visit Felicity a year later, when it was identified I had a learning disability. Once again she was very understanding and my time with her was exceptionally valuable throughout the whole semester, during the period of acknowledgment till after the diagnosis leading to the end of semester.

I have found the assistance in adapting to my circumstances very beneficial by maintaining stress levels, working on effective personal study techniques, time management and furthermore, dealing with external conflicts relating to personal life and employment.

I highly recommend visiting Felicity for anything that is affecting studying and university life as she is extremely helpful and will walk out feeling motivated and inspired.”

“I engaged in counselling services halfway through my final year of medical School after a difficult & changing social situations in my life. Previous to this I had never even thought about seeing someone about my mental health nor did I see how it would help me. However, I had just completed the Mental Health First Aid course with Felicity and found that a lot of the topics that I was studying about were resonating with me.  I met with Felicity and from the first appointment I was so glad I had found the humility and courage to engage her services.

 Felicity was able to provide me with the tools, insight and courage to help me face my own mental health battles in a safe and controlled environment without ever feeling judged. I found having someone to talk to about all aspects of life was a tremendous help to me and I have emerged a happier person because of it.
I know too well the feeling of pride and stubbornness to think that sometimes we don’t need external help for the feelings we experience from within, however I would implore all students to meet with Felicity as we all have something to learn from her and she is an  amazing support Bond University has to offer.”

“As a medical student, I knew all about the physiological impact of burnout, stress, depression and anxiety. But it is another to be experiencing it and to take the time and effort to manage it, especially in the mad swirl of study and clinical placement.

When I went to get support, Felicity was amazing in listening and helping me to sort through the mental mess I had in my head, because sometimes you have an idea of what’s wrong, but you need a perceptive external person to talk with, and to pinpoint what’s causing all that stress and anxiety. Having that external validation that your problems are worthy of attention and addressing, and tangible suggestions on how to address them is really helpful. It’s not always a matter of “I’ll be fine with time”. You also have an objective person who you can trust to listen to your issues, without judgement, and it can sometimes feel much more liberating than even talking to a friend.

There’s a huge variety of interventions Felicity can tailor to you that you can use in the future on your own. She gives you the tools to look after yourself, and it can also come in handy professionally. As logic and science-based individuals, these tools may seem overly simple at times, such as deep breathing, but the evidence and physiological effects are there. It’s just up to you to make the time to do it.

If you just need a willing ear and a helping hand, please come to Felicity, because no one has to do it alone or be strong all the time.”

"I visited Felicity when I was at rock bottom. I just had a devastating event in my life and I had exhausted all my other options. She listened to me crying, validated my problems, and objectively sought solutions for my issues. She created Matrices on the whiteboard that allowed me to be in touch with reality and put everything into perspective. She tore down negative beliefs I had my entire life like 'all people are evil' and allowed me to be my true self again.

Felicity tailored our sessions to suit my needs, my timetable, and I was able to do an hour, 30 minute, or 15 minute sessions, until I didn't need them anymore. If you are going through anything - or you aren't, please visit Felicity. I still sought her services even after I was better to assess study skills, problems with concentration, silly concerns, and intrusive thoughts.

Felicity can be anyone - your therapist, your ally, someone for advice, or a person to cry to. Please see her at least once - if you were looking for a sign, this is it. She is definitely one of the biggest reasons I was able to pass my exams in the toughest year of my degree."

"Felicity provided me with helpful strategies that I could easily implement into my daily habits.  This resulted in improved performance and confidence in class and clinical placement. I was having difficulty with anxiety, particularly within clinical placements. Felicity helped me to develop strategies to take control of the anxious thoughts, deescalate and channel it to more productive thoughts and actions. This resulted in improved confidence and performance clinically.

I have dealt with anxiety in various situations over many years. When it began to impact my clinical performance negatively, Felicity helped to provided individualized strategies that have helped me professionally. Felicity provided a safe and welcoming atmosphere, where I felt like my voice and opinions mattered. She helped me to make sense and prioritise my own thoughts so I could move forward with the goals that were important to me."

"Felicity played a huge part in my Med school journey. I was introduced to Felicity during a time in my life when my mental health was the lowest it had ever been. From my first session I felt heard, understood, and trusted that everything shared would be confidential. Felicity was able to provide techniques to manage stressful and distressing situations. I am incredibly thankful for the support and encouragement Felicity provided. I have now finished Medical school and my years at Bond University would not have been the same without Felicity's support."

"Hi Felicity! I really wanted to let you know that I received an offer for Doctor of Medicine!!! 

Thank you so much for all your support and encouragement and the work we have done together, I know I would not have interviewed as well without the personal growth I have undertaken in the last few years. 

A lot of what we have worked through in our sessions has really come together this year and I am feeling much more balanced and better prepared for Medicine, so thank you!"