Counselling Services

Health & Counselling offers brief, short-term counselling with sessions typically scheduled two to four weeks apart. Average attendance for brief counselling is three to four appointments and depending on circumstances, additional appointments may be available in consultation with your counsellor depending upon need.

Common concerns that may be addressed in brief/short-term therapy may include:

• Stress, anger, loneliness, guilt, relationship issues
• Performance anxiety, perfectionism, procrastination 
• Adjustment to university life
• Identity
• Substance use
• Trauma, grief and loss
• Anxiety/depression (as appropriate for brief therapy)

How to access services?

Schedule a Rapid Access / Intake Appointment

If you're looking for mental health support, like counselling, book an appointment online or call the front desk and ask to schedule an intake appointment. Within 48 business hours you will be matched with the next available clinician.

Before your appointment, you will be asked to complete a short questionnaire regarding your concerns and request for support. Then, during your 30-minute appointment, the mental health clinician will ask some questions to clarify what you would like help with and will review your questionnaire with you. They will then talk with you to identify a goal and an action plan of support including resources to best accommoadate your concerns. This may include:

• A single-session counselling follow-up 
• Short-term counselling (with practicum counsellors, pre-doctoral interns, counsellors or psychologists)
• Group counselling
• My SSP (My Student Support Plan)
• Online self-help resources
• Campus and community referrals and support 
• Community referral for longer term counselling

If you are referred to another resource outside of Health & Counselling, the Clinican will provide support and assist you in accessing appropriate community resources and referrals.

Are you a returning client?

You are still encouraged to schedule a rapid access/intake appointment by calling the front desk or booking online. If you are looking for specialized counselling options, then you can book with the provider as required.

Counselling Sessions

Single Session Counselling Follow-up

You may be scheduled in a 30 or 50 minute, in person or remote, single session appointment to follow-up with your concerns presented during a rapid access/intake appointment.

At this appointment, the clinician will work with you to identify a detailed goal and action plan for addressing your support needs and creating change, which may also include being referred to additional resources such as short-term counselling, group counselling, or longer-term counselling in the community. 

Examples for why a single session follow up may be scheduled include: managing academic stress and anxiety around an exam or project, relationship issues with parents or partner, coping with a recent break-up, or skills for enhancing mood or sleep.

Short-Term Counselling   
   
When needed, Health & Counselling may offer brief/short-term counselling (one to four sessions) sometimes scheduled 2 to 4 weeks apart. 

Brief/short-term counselling is goal-oriented in nature and active participation in the process is essential for progress, change, and growth. At the beginning of your sessions, you will discuss the goals you would like to accomplish and you will be asked to provide your counsellor with feedback regarding service along the way in order to get the most out of your sessions.

Specific concerns well suited for short-term counselling include:  various kinds of anxiety (worry, social, test), stress, mild to moderate depression, adjustment and transition to university, acculturation, family and relationship concerns, loneliness, identity concerns.     

Following short-term counselling you may be referred to a group-based program, longer-term counselling in the community or other campus and community based supports.