Spiritual Psychologist, Rachael Alexander, releases You’ve Got This – A
Student’s Guide to Well-being at University and Beyond
– A ‘Life-saver’ guide aimed to help university students achieve academic
success through embracing symptoms of anxiety
The release of A-level results in August can be an emotional gamechanger for many young people. While some will be delighted with their grades, excited to be accepted at the university of their choice, others may suffer distressing feelings of disappointment due to their below expected results, forcing them into the uncomfortable position of exploring courses via clearing. Some may even have to abandon their dreams of starting university at all this year and consider the emotional turmoil of re-sits. And what about those confused students who achieved the results needed but are having second thoughts
about enrolling at all?
Starting university can be a traumatic time for a young person, increasing their chances of suffering with psychological distress and preventing this was one of the reasons why Rachael Alexander, wrote You’ve Got This – A Student’s Guide to Well-being at University and Beyond. The book is aimed at teaching the
student population how to take responsibility for their mental health in simple and practical ways.
Rachael Alexander graduated from Hull University in 2007 with a first-class honours’ degree In Counselling Psychology. She then studied with the University of Derby and was awarded an Advanced Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Theory and Practice.
Feeling equipped to help others, she set up her own psychological training business called I Can Handle it and became a qualified instructor delivering seminars for the best-selling book, Feel the Fear & Do It Anyway written by Dr Susan Jeffers.
Readers of the book comment on how simple and accessible it is. There are over 100 challenges which the student may face on their academic journey – ranging from:
– Changing their mind about going to university
– Fear to attend lectures, and
– Anxiety over sitting exams.
However, the book also advises on the more personal and social challenges such as feeling like they don’t fit in, struggling to make friends and suffering heartbreak when a relationship ends. Each challenge is answered in less than 400 words, making it simple to understand. The self-reflection journal prompts,
enable the reader to apply the theory to their own situation and come up with solutions. This is why the book is being called “a life-saver” by a recently graduated student.
Rachael Alexander comments: “The university experience presents a lot of ‘unknowns’ which can trigger symptoms of anxiety and as the new student is away from home, it can mean they struggle alone.
“It is important that students know where and how to turn to find reassurance, especially in their moment of distress. This was one of my key motivations for writing this guide.”
The book is being welcomed by those employed in Higher Education. Professor Jonathon Parker is Head of Department for Social Work at Bournemouth University and believes the book “offers students an immediate sense of not
being alone and instils the capacity to deal with the stresses and strains of university.”
With 5-star reviews on Amazon, Rachael Alexander hopes the book not only prevents young people being labelled with mental health disorders which can stay with them for the rest of their life, but also helps them achieve the academic success they so rightly deserve. With a degree in Counselling Psychology, an advanced diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and a master’s degree in
Consciousness Psychology, along with her experience of being a single mum of a 17-year-old, Rachael can not only empathise with the struggles young people face but feels qualified to offer solutions.
You’ve Got This – A Student’s Guide to Well-being at University and Beyond is priced at £16.99, and published by Critical Publishing – https://www.criticalpublishing.com/youve-got-this. It can also be ordered on Amazon or from any bookshop.
