Student Counselling Centre

Are you experiencing a high degree of distress (e.g., you don’t feel safe, have been recently assaulted, have a plan to attempt suicide, witnessed a traumatic event) and need help immediately? If yes, we encourage you to consider contacting one of the 24 hour a day, 7 days a week crisis services listed below:

1. Canada Mental health Crisis Helpline (988)
2. Klinic Crisis Line (204-786-8686)
3. Manitoba Suicide Prevention and Support Line (1-877-435-7170)
4. First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Services (1-855-242-3310)
5. Manitoba Metis Federation-Mental Wellness Support Line (1-833-390-1041 ext. 1)
6. Sexual Assault Crisis Line (1-888-292-7565)
7. The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line (1-866-925-4419)
8. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Crisis Line (1-844-413-6649)

You can also receive help by going to a local hospital emergency or urgent care facility or travelling to the Crisis Response Centre at 817 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Finally, you may also drop by our office at 474 UMSU University Centre (Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm), or call our reception desk at 204-474-8592 to learn about our services and whether or not we can provide support immediately.

The SCC is excited to announce a new way for University of Manitoba students to access and receive mental health support quickly, when it matters most.

Fast, Flexible Mental Health Support When Students Need It 

Starting August 2026, we are replacing traditional intake counselling services with One-at-a-Time counselling Sessions (OAATS) to allow students to connect with a counsellor sooner to focus on what’s most important to them right then.

What is One-at-a-Time Counselling?

OAATS is a single-session counselling approach where each appointment is treated as a complete, meaningful session. In their session, students can:

• Talk about their most important concern 

• Gain new perspective and/or understanding 

• Develop practical strategies and/or next steps 

• Receive support and feel heard 

• Explore options for additional help if needed 

Many students find that one focused session is enough to make progress. If a student needs more support, they can always come back for another OAATS session.

We will also continue to offer the ongoing individual counselling support students are familiar with when appropriate as well as groups and workshops.

OAATS appointments are available to all registered University of Manitoba students studying at the Fort Garry campus location of the University of Manitoba, including students on suspension or leave, as well as English Language Centre students and International College of Manitoba (ICM) students. 

How It Works

Students can schedule an OAATS up to 24 hours in advance by:

• Telephone at 204-474-8592 

• In person at our main office located at 474 UMSU University Centre. Our office is open Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm excepting statutory holidays and University of Manitoba closures

•  or online using our online portal

Please note that University of Manitoba students must be in Manitoba to receive SCC services including OAATS.

More information on OAATS, ongoing individual counselling and couples counselling services.

Most students face struggles at some point in their lives and there may be times when the struggles are beyond what can be managed. These struggles may include stress related to university studies, family or relationship difficulties, or unexpected events such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is common for students to experience anxiety, depression, self-doubt, low self-esteem, upsetting thoughts or uncontrollable worry when struggles happen. Sometimes, talking with family or friends is enough to help. Other times, making some lifestyle changes helps (e.g., getting more sleep, becoming more physically active). But sometimes more help is needed – that is when our services could be beneficial.

The American Psychological Association (APA) suggests two general guidelines to help you decide if you need help: (1) is the problem you’re having distressing and (2) is it interfering with some aspect of your life? Some other questions to consider are:

• Are you thinking about the problem every day or most days?
• Does the problem take up significant time each day (e.g., more than an hour)?
• Are you hiding the problem from others in your life?
• Is the problem reducing your quality of life (e.g., you're less happy, more tired, can't participate in activities you used to enjoy, etc.)?
• Is the problem negatively affecting your university studies or other areas of your life (e.g., a job, relationships, finances, etc.)?
• Are you changing things in your life to accommodate the problem (e.g., withdrawing from friends, family and social activities; withdrawing from classes; using substances to cope - e.g., cannabis, alcohol, etc.)?
• Do you feel overwhelmed, hopeless, worthless?

If you've answered “yes” to any of these questions, we may be able to help. Drop by our office at 474 UMSU University Centre (Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm), or call our reception desk at 204-474-8592 to discuss your situation.