The Counselling Service: Balancing Life and Learning
Welcome to the Counselling Service!
The Counselling Service can be accessed by all local students at the University of Sydney. If you are a staff member seeking assistance for yourself, please contact the Case Management Group. If you are seeking information about how to help a student, please see our For Staff page.
The Counselling service operates on the Camperdown and Cumberland campuses. Counselling is also available during semester at Sydney College of the Arts and the Conservatorium of Music, please contact the Camperdown office to make an appointment.
24-Hour Service (Crisis)
If you are in crisis, please contact us during office hours by phone (02) 8627 8433. For 24-hour service you may contact:
- Lifeline on 131 114
- Mental Health Access Line 1800 636 825
- Medical, Fire, Police Emergency 000
Email
The Counselling Service discourages the use of email communication between counsellors and clients. Confidentiality or security of email communication cannot be guaranteed, as email is not a secure medium. The Counselling Service is also unable to guarantee the ability to respond to any email quickly.
What does the Counselling Service do?
Our aim is to help you achieve your academic and personal goals whilst you are a student at the University. We can help you develop strategies to deal with immediate issues and help you build new skills for long term change.
Some examples of the types of issues we help students with include:
- Dealing with Interpersonal relationships
- Communicating with academic staff and students
- Managing Stress and anxiety
- Loneliness or isolation
- Traumatic events
- Procrastination and Study Issues
- Mental Health
- Grief and Loss
The needs of individual students differ. So, we have developed three different ways of helping you access information and counselling services. These are:
These services are free and confidential. You can access them at any time during your degree. The online information may even help you in the future!
Individual Counselling
Individual counselling sessions are available to all locally enrolled students of the University of Sydney. If you are an International student, please contact the International Student Support Unit to make an appointment.
There are two types of appointments available to students:
- Booked appointments – 50 minute appointments are available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Some after-hours appointments are also available. To make an appointment at the Camperdown campus, Sydney College of the Arts or the Conservatorium of Music phone 8627 8433 or to make an appointment at the Cumberland campus phone 9351 9638.
- Walk-in appointments – a limited number of 25 minute appointments are available each day. To book a walk-in appointment, you will need to drop into the Counselling Service office, Level 5, Jane Foss Russell Building after 9am Monday to Friday.
- For more information about individual counselling, please download our Frequently Asked Questions sheet.
Workshops
We run a number of group workshops each semester for both local and International students. Please see our Workshops page for more information.
Online Information
We have addressed some of the common issues faced by students. This information is to help you identify particular issues and the type of assistance you might need.
Where possible we have provided worksheets to help you begin working on solutions for yourself. In some cases you may need or like to seek extra counselling. If so, don’t hesitate to contact us.
The information sheets have been divided into three broad categories:
You can search, read and download information at any time and anywhere. You can also call into our office to pick up one of our brochures.
What can you do?
You may be reading this information because you have identified a particular issue that you would like help with, perhaps you just don’t feel right at the moment, or maybe you are seeking some general advice. Whatever your reason, we are here to help you. You can:
- Make an appointment with one of our counsellors by phoning 8627 8433 (Camperdown) or 9351 9638 (Cumberland) between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. If you are an International Student, please contact the International Student Support Unit on 8627 8437.
- Book into one of our workshops
- Read through the information and worksheets on this website.
How do I comment on, compliment or complain about the Counselling Service
You can talk or write to the Head of the Counselling Service. If this avenue has returned an unsatisfactory response, you can contact the Director of Student Administration and Support or if appropriate, the Staff and Student Equal Opportunity Unit.
Anything you have read on this page may be followed up with staff at the Counselling Service who will be happy to discuss any questions you have.