Individual Counselling

All counsellors at Student Counselling, Health & Well-being are registered clinicians who have experience working with a diverse student population. With that said, SCHW recognizes that students may desire to meet with a counsellor with whom they share the same or similar identity/ background.

Students are welcome to express their preference to meet with counsellors of aparticular identity (e.g. male, female, Black-identifying, 2SLGBTQIA+-identifying, etc.). Please alert reception to your preference at the time of booking. We will do our best to ensure that these preferences are met in a timely manner.

Walk-in Counselling

Walk-in Counselling is provided from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday to Friday and is intended to provide students timely access to a qualified counselling professional in a safe and positive space. The focus of the session is on the issue(s) that you have identified as having brought you into the office that day.

What to Expect

  • Please call our reception line at 416-736-5297. If the line is busy, please wait for a few minutes and try again.
  • Fill out some brief paperwork (e.g. to verify that you are a York University student)
  • Meet with the counsellor for approximately 50 minutes
  • The counsellor will work with you to determine a goal for the session
  • The counsellor will work with you while focusing on your strengths to identify concrete skills and strategies that you can practice immediately to begin resolving the issue(s) you have identified
  • Collaborate with your counsellor to create a “next steps” plan of action to get you started on the path to change.

It is our hope that at the end of the session you will feel supported, empowered, and better equipped to tackle the issue(s) you have identified.

Reminders

  • Student Counselling, Health, & Well-being does not provide documentation (e.g. counsellor statements, support letters, petitions, etc.) to students who only attend walk-in counselling, with the exception of letters of attendance.
  • You can access walk-in counselling more than once. However, it is our expectation that before returning you will have completed the “next steps” plan co-created in your previous session.
  • You may not always be paired with the same counsellor for additional visits, but counsellors will begin your return session with a review of your progress on the “next steps” plan.
  • In some cases, short-term counselling may be recommended.

Emergency support

Emergency support is provided from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. To access emergency support, please call our reception line at 416-736-5297.

Examples of emergencies include (but are not limited to):

  • Feeling highly suicidal and at risk of acting on these feelings
  • A recent sexual or physical assault
  • Struggling with thoughts that you might severely hurt another person(s)

Short-term Counselling

In order to provide equitable service to all students at York University, SCHW works under a short-term therapy model. If you are interested in meeting with a counsellor for short-term counselling, please call our reception line at 416-736-5297.

What to Expect:

  • Meet with a counsellor weekly or biweekly for approximately 50 minutes
  • The counsellor will work with you to determine some goals you would like to achieve during your short-term counselling sessions together
  • The counsellor will provide support to help address issues or challenges that may be getting in the way of your success at home or in school
  • Work with your counsellor to create a plan for coping between your counselling sessions
  • Your counsellor will check-in regularly with you during your scheduled sessions together to ensure that your goals remain relevant and achievable
  • Student Counselling, Health, & Well-being may provide documentation (e.g. letters of attendance, counsellor statements, support letters, petitions, etc.) for students engaged in  short-term counselling or who have previously undergone short-term counselling, The decision to provide documentation is determined on an individual basis, and at the discretion of the counsellor.