Individual therapy or counselling with a counsellor gives you the opportunity to talk confidentially about any concerns that may be impacting on your academic performance or mental health and wellbeing.
We offer short-term therapy sessions (between 1-6) with counsellors who provide evidence-based treatment and resources tailored to meet your individual needs.
We conduct our sessions in line with New South Wales Health guidelines, which are subject to change. This means we may not always able to offer face-to-face counselling. Telehealth appointments are always available by phone or through Zoom.
If you require longer term support, a team member will assist you to find an external provider. Where appropriate, you may be linked with internal support services such as Inclusion and Disability Services, the University Health Service, Financial Assistance, Student Affairs, Career Centre or other relevant support services.
For your first session, you need to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early to allow time to fill in any forms or questionnaires required by your counsellor.
You will talk to your counsellor about your concerns, and they will assess your mental health needs and collaborate with you on the best way of moving forward. They may make recommendations or suggest you book further sessions.
To get started, connect with Student Wellbeing through the wellbeing form. Once we receive your form, a clinician from Student Wellbeing will call you to discuss your support needs.
Group counselling promotes growth while also fostering a sense of community and connection for the University of Sydney journey.
Working towards your therapeutic goals alongside fellow students has been shown to be a valuable and rewarding experience. Hearing shared experiences and overcoming challenges in a group format allows students to feel connected, accepted and seen.
Using modern psychological frameworks, group members experience facilitated therapeutic discussion, new ways of interpreting their challenges and strategies to increase resilience.
We offer a range of group options targeting areas such as academic resilience, wellbeing and social connection. Explore our current group counselling options and register your interest by selecting the 'groups/workshops' option on our Student Counselling Service portal.
We may advise you of other services if:
We can advise you about other specialist services within or external to the University.
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) offers a confidential outreach clinic available to all current students who have experienced sexual assault. RPA counsellors experienced in supporting victims of sexual assault work closely with the University.
Find out more about the RPA clinic and other support available through our Safer Communities Office.
We understand that issues and emergencies arise. If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, we ask that you try to notify us with as much notice as possible.
We offer a text reminder 24 or 48 hours prior to ensure you have enough time to notify us of any issues. In-person appointments can also be changed to telehealth if required on the day.
If you do not attend an appointment and don't contact us to cancel, this will count towards the six appointments that you are able to access in a calendar year. Unfortunately, non-attendance prevents other students in need from accessing this appointment time. Under exceptional circumstances, you may be able to discuss this with your clinician.
To notify the University about situations where a student may need support, complete the Student Wellbeing Care Report.
9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday
When you engage with any of our teams, you may receive an SMS from 0427 263 492 confirming an appointment or a secure message. Please note this is a no reply number and we will not be able to see any responses.
