Counselling services
Counselling services for students of USC are available through Student Life and Learning and through the University's Psychology Clinic.
Student Life and Learning psychologists and social workers provide a variety of services, initiatives and resources to support students of USC and to foster positive mental health.
- Individual counselling sessions (study / personal / health issues)
- Self-help resources and links
- Information sessions and skills-building workshops
- UNIfy Student Support Program
- The Elite Athlete Program
- Resources and information for staff
Individual counselling
Stressful personal, study or health related problems can make it hard to manage the demands of daily life and studying at university.
Talking to someone who understands the pressures and difficulties you are experiencing can be helpful.
USC's counsellors listen to your concerns, help you clarify key issues and assist you in developing strategies for either resolving the problem or dealing with it more effectively.
Students commonly seek help for:
- depression, panic and anxiety
- exam worries
- study concerns
- course-related decision making (including deferment and withdrawal)
- feeling overwhelmed or not coping
- conflict or crisis situations
- grief and bereavement
- stress management
- sexuality and gender identity issues
- family and relationship issues
- lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) support
- variations to enrolment or assessment on compassionate grounds
For more information on counselling services: Counselling FAQs (PDF 510KB).
Appointments
Students wishing to access counselling services are required to book a 30-minute Intake appointment. Subsequent appointments last for 50 minutes and are booked by the counsellor.
What to expect at your intake appointment
You and your counsellor will:
- talk about your specific problems
- assess how these problems affect you
- explore options or strategies that can help
The counsellor may decide that referral to another health professional, organisation or university department would better suit your needs. The counsellor will discuss this with you and assist with the referral process.
Confidentiality
USC counselling sessions are private and confidential. Our counsellors are bound by the ethical codes of their respective professions. They treat client information with professional confidence and will not disclose information without written consent.
Counsellors may be ethically or legally required to breach client confidentiality if the safety of a client or others is at serious risk.
Intake appointment bookings
In person: Student Life and Learning Reception, ground floor, Building J
Tel: + 61 7 5430 1226.
Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8.30am–5pm; Wednesday 10am–5pm
Student Life and Learning counsellors do not provide after-hours support.
Emergency contacts
- Lifeline (24 hour phone counselling service) Tel: 13 11 14
- Suicide Call Back Service ( 24 hours) Tel: 1300 659 467
- Sunshine Coast Mental Health Services (Crisis number) Tel: 1300 767 155
- Police or QLD Ambulance Service Tel: 000 or via mobile Tel: 000 / Tel: 112
Student Services e-Counselling service
The e-Counselling service is a free and confidential on-line service offering short-term assistance to students enrolled at USC.
The service provides information, resources and support to assist students dealing with study-related or personal difficulties.
Students can expect a response to their e-Counselling enquiry within two working days. e-Counselling does not provide after-hours assistance or crisis support. Students requiring urgent help should contact Lifeline (24 hours phone counselling) Tel: 13 11 14.
e-Counselling is useful to students who:
- are studying off campus
- have prac or timetable constraints
- have family, work or other commitments
- feel uncomfortable talking with a counsellor in person
- are OK with the time delay between emails
- do not have complex health conditions requiring longer-term support
Privacy and confidentiality
No electronic communication is completely secure. Students are encouraged to ensure they have security software installed on their computers if using the E-Counselling service.
A confidential and secure record of the email communication between students and the counsellor is kept by the Counselling Service.
Counsellors may be required to breach the confidentiality of these records if the safety of the student or other people is at serious risk, or if the student’s records are subpoenaed by a Court of Law.
Register for e-Counselling
Please refer to the terms and conditions before registering for e-Counselling
Self-help resources and links
USC Counselling Service brochures and tip sheets are available from Student Life and Learning Reception, Student Central, ground floor, Building C and online.
Topics covered include :
- Adjusting to a New Culture (PDF 110KB)
- Goal Setting Your Way to Academic Success (PDF 311KB)
- Procrastination (PDF 194KB)
- Reframing your Thinking (PDF 169KB)
Additional hard copy self-help resources from Active Minds, Beyond Blue and Queensland Health are available from Student Life and Learning Reception, ground floor, Building J.
Topics covered include:
- depression
- anxiety disorders
- sexual health
- drug and alcohol support services
Community resources - Information and contact details for community-based counselling and support services.
The Sunshine Coast Community Information Service provides information on approximately 2,650 community organisations and events across the Sunshine Coast.
Useful links - Online self help resources for anxiety, depression, eating disorders, youth health and wellbeing, suicide and self-harm.
Access virtual pamphlets covering a wide range of topics and issues.
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Information sessions and workshops
Student Life and Learning counsellors offer information sessions and workshops to help students adjust to university life and to develop skills for managing stress and achieving life style balance.
During O-Week:
- UNI101: Hit the Ground Running—Provides and overview of how to be successful at University as well as concrete tips and information on how to get a head start.
- New Horizons – Starting Uni as a Mature Age Student—offers new mature age students the opportunity to talk with current mature age students, to discuss any concerns they may have about returning to formal studies, to be given helpful tips on how to access the student resources effectively, and to ask lots of questions.
During semester:
Mindfulness workshop series:
- Life balance
Week 4: Thursday, 21 March, 2–3pm, C1.49 - Oral presentations (2 hour intensive)
Week 6: Thursday, 11 April, 2–4pm, C1.49 - Strategies/techniques
Week 7: Thursday, 18 April, 3–4pm, C1.49
Week 10: Thursday, 9 May, 2–4pm, C1.49 - Exam preparation
Week 12: Thursday, 23 May, 2–4pm, C1.49
Week 13: Thursday, 30 May, 1–3pm, C1.49
Where are you headed, are you in the right degree?
- Week 3: Thursday, 14 March, 1–2pm, C1.49
Mental health first aid information session
- Week 5: Thursday, 28 March, 1–2pm, C1.49
- Week 9: Thursday, 2 May, 2–4pm, C1.49
Strategies to improve your organisation skills
- Week 5: Thursday, 28 March, 2–4pm, C1.49
Practie your presentation session
- Week 7: Thursday, 18 April, 1–2pm, C1.49
Responding to anxiety
- Week 8: Monday, 22 April, 3–4pm, CG.48
Want more sleep? Learn how!
- Week 9: Thursday, 2 May, 1–2pm, C1.49
UNIfy Student Support Program
This program runs throughout the academic year and is available to students who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. The program will be facilitated by a UNIfy mentor. While connecting you to other students, the support you can expect to receive from your UNIfy mentor could include:
Access to resources, support and encouragement for you to achieve your goals
- Exploring your course outline together to assist in clarifying assessments and expectations of the course.
- Development of study skills.
- Coping strategies.
- Assisting you to set realistic goals for study.
- Helping you to identify potential barriers for a successful university experience and assist you to reduce these.
- Assist you to create a work/life balance.
Coordinate social engagement with other students
- Orientation week meet and greet.
- Weekly drop in times to meet other students.
- Events specifically identified by members.
Your mentor will meet with you individually to discuss your academic support needs. It is expected that the mentor will be available on a weekly basis and be contactable via telephone and email between sessions.
Your mentor will be able to advise you about other programs and services that may be able to assist you whilst studying at USC.
Throughout the semester your mentor will make available to you opportunities to engage in activities with other students to share study skills, coping strategies and experiences that will support your learning needs.
For referral to the UNIfy Program please contact Student Life and Learning on Tel: +61 7 5430 1226, or email unify@usc.edu.au
The Elite Athlete Program
The Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Institute of Sport have recognised USC as an Elite Athlete Friendly University (EAFU).
USC understands the demands placed on elite athletes and is committed to providing them with the opportunity to excel in their studies.
The program is managed through the Counselling service and provides:
- a flexible and responsive approach to admissions and assessments
- assistance in balancing academic workload with sporting commitments
For further information contact gthorne@studentservices.edu.au at Student Life and Learning.
Resources and information for staff
University staff may be the first to notice when a student is not coping. If you recognise that a student is having diffuculty and you respond with interest and concern you can play a vital role in helping them access appropriate assistance.
Counselling staff have developed the resource guide Supporting students in distress to assist staff in this process.
Counsellors can also be contacted through Student Life and Learning to discuss concerns about individual students or student-related issues, or to organise information sessions on supporting students in distress and the role of the counselling service. Tel: +61 7 5430 1226.
Student Life and Learning counsellors do not provide counselling services for University staff. USC staff experiencing difficulties should discuss their situation with their supervisor or Human Resources.
Counselling services are available within the local community and staff with private health care cover may be eligible to claim these services.
Alternatively, staff may be eligible for counselling from a private psychologist under the federal government’s Better Access to Mental Health Care Initiative.
A Medicare rebate is available to help cover the costs of these consultations.