Transitioning to University can be a hard and scary time. But, it doesn’t have to be. If you’re ever feeling down or stressed, it’s great to know that Western University’s student center provides many mental health resources for their students. Read on to find out more on how to access these resources!
- Group Care and Workshops
If you’re someone that likes to talk about a shared topic in a group setting, Western offers group counselling sessions to practice new coping strategies amongst group members. It’s a great, open place for students to learn about new skills, increase self-awareness and share their experiences with others. Groups are generally small and range from five to 15 students. Groups range from Wellness Support, Trans-ceptance Support, Parent Loss Support and Racialized Students Support.
You can visit here for more information.
- Individual Resources
If you prefer traditional counselling, you can also book your own individual mental health appointments one on one with a counsellor. You can book an appointment by calling (519) 661-3030. The hours of operation are Monday – Thursday (9am to 7pm) and Friday (9am – 5pm). Students will have the option of a Zoom call or phone call and in certain cases, in person counselling appointments will be allowed. Western’s counsellors offer brief, change-oriented counselling for students with a wide variety of concerns including (but not limited to) anxiety, depression, academic or personal stress, relationship problems, sexual violence, and adjustment to university.
You can visit here for more information.
- Crisis Counselling
Western also provides crisis counselling for students. A crisis may be signalled by any of the following behaviour:
- Self-injurious behaviour
- Suicidal thoughts
- Thoughts about harming another person
- Recent traumatic event or sexual assault
- Perceptual disturbances, hearing voices, increased suspiciousness
Mental Health Support Staff will make every effort to respond as quickly as possible when an individual student requires an emergency appointment.
If you are a student dealing with a crisis, visit here for help immediately.
- Black and Racialized Student Supports
For Black and Racialized students who are experiencing race-related stress and are seeking a safe space to talk, they can request to speak with counsellors who are themselves persons of these communities with lived experience. Please call (519) 661-3030 to book an appointment. Western also provides a virtual support group for Black and Racialized students. This pilot wellness group aims to create a safe and healing space to share lived experiences with race-related stress. This group will be facilitated by two psychotherapists from Health and Wellness who are themselves Persons of Colour. Group Facilitators: Rose Aquino and Ramona Fernandez.
You can visit here for more information.
- LBGTTIQQ2SA+
Mental Health Support has several counsellors with expertise in the provision of services to LGBTTIQQ2SA+ students (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, 2-Spirited, Asexual). They have experience in assisting students with coming out issues, family matters, isolation, dealing with queerphobia on campus, and many other concerns.
You can visit here for more information.
- Research Study for Students with Depression
Students are also invited to participate in a research study conducted by researchers in the School of Kinesiology to investigate the effectiveness of a structured peer-led-one-on-one exercise program on depressive symptoms. The program will take place virtually and will be personalized to your preferences and goals by a trained Kinesiology student. Participants will be compensated with completing surveys.
You can visit here for more information.
- General Self-Help Resources
On their website, Western also provides other off-campus resources that are free and available to students. Take some time to browse them and see if any of them meet your needs. Some of them include Anxiety Canada, Here to Help BC, Meditation Oasis and many others.
You can visit here for more information.
- Academic Relief
Mental health can take a toll on a student’s everyday life and this could end up impacting a student’s ability to perform in their academics. Academic relief can also be provided when mental health concerns are interfering with a student’s ability to function academically (e.g. unable to attend classes, complete assignments, write midterms/exams). Students requesting academic relief will be assessed on a case by case basis.
You can visit here for more information on this process.
