Individual and couples counselling

Our individual and couple counselling services are only available to University of Manitoba students studying at the Fort Garry campus location of the University of Manitoba. Students studying at the Bannatyne campus or in the Inner-City Social Work program are directed to contact Student Services at the Bannatyne Campus for individual and couple counselling support.

All University of Manitoba students studying at the Fort Garry campus location, including International College of Manitoba (ICM) students, English Language Centre students and students on leave or suspension are eligible to our One-at-a-Time counselling Session (OAATS). Please see below for more information on OAATS. 

Ongoing individual counselling services (i.e., meeting with the same counsellor for regularly scheduled appointments) and couple counselling services are also available but not for students who are on leave or suspension. Students on leave or suspension may attend our groups and workshops however as well as OAATS. 

The SCC offers:

• One-at-a-Time counselling Session (OAATS)
• Ongoing individual counselling services (i.e., meeting with the same counsellor for regularly scheduled counselling sessions)
• an on-line treatment program for depression (RBC MOOD program)
• Couples counselling

Students interested in ongoing individual counselling or our on-line treatment program for depression (RBC MOOD program) must first attend an OAATS appointment. Students interested in couples counselling are asked to contact our reception in-person or by telephone to be added to a waitlist for a couples counselling assessment session to determine the appropriateness of this service for their situation.

One-at-a-Time counselling Session (OAATS)

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 students need more support, they can always come back for another OAATS appointment.

OAATS appointments will be available each weekday when the University of Manitoba is open and can be scheduled in-person, by phone, or online using our online portal to request the appointment. University of Manitoba students may schedule an OAATS appointment up to 24 hours in advance and can select to be seen in-person or remotely (i.e., by telephone or video link). Please note, University of Manitoba students must be in Manitoba to receive remote support services from the SCC.

Can a Student Book More Than One OAATS appointment? Yes—though there are some limits in place to support fair and timely access for all students.

• Booking multiple sessions within a short period (e.g., several sessions over a few weeks) may be reviewed to ensure this model is the best fit for a student’s needs
• Students will be expected to try out strategies or reflect on next steps between sessions to support their progress
• If a student needs more frequent or ongoing support, we’ll work with them to connect them to the right service(s)

Note: Students on leave or suspension can use OAATS.

What If a Student Needs More Ongoing Support? OAATS can be a starting point — it doesn’t have to be the only step.If additional individual counselling support is needed and appropriate, our counsellors will work with students to explore whether ongoing counselling is the right fit at this time, including whether the time and commitment needed to benefit from ongoing counselling align with the student’s schedule and needs. If ongoing counselling isn’t the best fit right now, students can continue to access OAATS periodically for support. Students already receiving ongoing individual counselling from us will continue to receive that level of support unless it is not the right fit for them.

Counselling services at the SCC are designed to provide short-term support and are not intended to replace long-term, intensive psychological or psychiatric care that extends beyond a year.

Emergency Support. Same day emergency support is available to University of Manitoba students when we’re open if they’re in very high distress (e.g., feeling like they’re having a panic attack; they’re unable to stop crying) and/or don’t feel safe (e.g., they have a plan to kill themselves; they’re under threat of physical or sexual violence from another person). If they’re experiencing very high distress and/or don’t feel safe and we’re not open, students are encouraged to use the crisis supports listed on our website.

Why This Change? We’ve added OAATS to:

• Increase timely access to individual counselling  
• Make services more flexible and student-centered
• Ensure resources are used effectively so more students can be supported
• Maintain pathways to ongoing and specialized services 

Are Intake Appointments Still Available? No.Intake appointments will no longer be available because they have been replaced by OAATS to allow us to provide more counselling assistance, more quickly, to more students.

RBC MOOD (Manitoba Online Overcoming Depression) Program

The RBC MOOD Program is an online counselling service for University of Manitoba students who would like help with low to moderate symptoms of depression. The program consists of a series of treatment modules that are self-directed, which means you choose when and how quickly you complete them. 

When you enroll in the RBC MOOD Program, a counsellor from the Student Counselling Centre (SCC) will be assigned as your online counsellor and will provide support and feedback as you work your way through the modules. 

Benefits of the RBC MOOD Program:

• learn about depression, stress and anxiety
• be introduced to many different treatments for depression, stress and anxiety
• develop a variety of skills to manage your mood
• be supported by an online counsellor from the SCC
• learn about and get connected to other relevant supports on and off campus

Please attend an OAATS appointment to learn more about the RBC MOOD Program and whether it is the right program for you! 

Couples counselling

Students interested in couples counselling need only to contact our reception in-person or by telephone to be added to our waitlist for a couples counselling assessment session. The couples counselling assessment session provides an opportunity for us to learn about your situation and support needs to determine if couples counselling is the appropriate service. Only one person in the couple has to be a current University of Manitoba student studying at the Fort Garry location of our university and this person must not be on leave or suspension.