Accessing Counselling
You can speak to a counsellor by booking a 15 minute consultation appointment. Call 905-525-9140 x 27700. Together you will be able to explore support options and decide on your pathways to receive support (see Pathways to Care below). Follow up appointment time may vary.
Expandable List
Pathways to Care was developed to maximize support and effectiveness of decisions used to direct students to various therapy and counselling resources, since not every student entering a consultation appointment may need to see a counsellor or to enter into long-term counselling.
There are a lot of resources available to students including online, or on or off-campus resources. Pathways to Care is here to help find the best fit for you.
Counsellors will sensitively listen and then, lay out a series of options that include online information; interactive online modules such as WellTrack; referrals to the Student Assistance Program; daily one-hour stress reduction seminars; psychoeducational groups; therapy groups; all the way to individual counselling sessions and medical appointments, as well as referrals to community and other resources.
Which of these options you end up pursuing is decided by you and a professional during the consultation appointment.
You can also find more information about the different Pathways to Care in this article.
Information Box Group

Yellow Path
Health Education and Promotion: Student Directed
- Self-Directed
- Self-Help
- Independent
- Builds Resilience
- Prevention
Resources:
- Wellness Education Programing
- Educational Handouts
- Self Help Materials
- On-Line Links

Green Path
Guided Self Help and Peer Support
- Self Management
- Skills Building
- Self-Help
- Builds Resilience
Resources:
- Good2Talk
- MSU Support Services
- WellTrack
- On-Line Self Help
- Wellness Workshops
- Big White Wall

Blue Path
Therapist Assisted and Therapy/Counselling
- Skill Building Groups
- Coping Strategies
- On-Line Assistance
- Group Programs
Resources:
- SWC Workshops
- SWC Group Programs
- SWC Therapy Groups
- WellTrack
- Good2Talk
- Brief Counselling
- Student Assistance Program
- On-Line Assistance

Purple Path
Individual Counselling/Therapy and Collaborative Shared Care
- Brief Psychotherapy
- Individual Counselling
- Skills Building Groups
- Therapy Groups
- Medical Treatment
- Psychiatric Treatment
Resources:
- Brief Psychotherapy
- Psychoeducational and Therapy Groups
- Shared and Primary Care
- Medication Treatment
- WellTrack
- Outpatient Programs
- COAST

Red Path
Crisis Management
- Psychiatric Treatment
- Community Centre
- Hospital Treatment
Resources:
- COAST
- Psychiatric Treatment
- Medication Treatment
- Crisis Management
- Psychotherapy
- Shared Care
- Hospital Admission
Wellness Skills Programs
At first, the idea of participating in a larger program might seem intimidating. But wellness skills programs, in which one or more counsellors lead a weekly group of 5 to 15 people, can be very beneficial. In fact, participants are often surprised by how rewarding their experience can be.
In addition to strengthening your relationships skills, reducing isolation and helping you find your voice, these programs are also especially valuable for individuals dealing with depression, social anxiety and life transitions. It is an opportunity to learn and develop skills to manage anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and intense emotions.
Benefits include:
- Helping you realize you’re not alone.
- Facilitating the giving and receiving of support.
- Helping you find your “voice.”
- Helping you relate to others (and yourself) in healthier ways.
- Providing a safety net.
All SWC groups are free and confidential. Email the facilitator to find out the start date of the program. Some programs are offered more than once in the term, and this is indicated by the number of sessions. You will be expected to fill out an intake form and attend sessions as indicated by the facilitator. Wellness skills programs often have recommended readings or between sessions activities. Any questions can be directed to the facilitator. Repeat attendance is welcomed!
Information Box Group
Check out our Wellness Skills Programs
Select Wellness Skills Programs in the drop down-menu of our programs page.
Other Supports
Information Box Group
Resources
If you are seeking non-urgent help outside of clinic hours or are looking for supplementary methods of managing your mental health, please visit the Resources section of our website to browse the different apps and web pages available to support you.
Crisis Support
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and require urgent help, please visit the Crisis Support area of our website to learn about what steps you can take to get the help you need.
Counselling FAQ
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Counselling is a way of helping people solve their own emotional, personal, or interpersonal problems. Counselling provides a rare opportunity to be listened to without being judged, and without being told what to do or what is “good for you”. It usually involves the exploration of problems in an environment that is both supportive and objective. Counselling and psychotherapy involve the development of new skills and approaches to manage difficult life situations. Strategies are often suggested for managing and altering patterns of upsetting thoughts, feelings and behaviour. It also may involve the identification of alternative courses of action that might solve a problem. The implications of those alternatives are typically explored, and perspective is usually gained on the problem and its effects.
Counselling is not giving advice or solving your problems for you. It is understandable that one might wish that another person could solve their problem(s), but no one can presume to know with sufficient certainty what is best for another person. This is especially true when considering difficult, complex, or emotionally troubling situations.
Nobody knows! To be more accurate, nobody knows in advance. Each year we talk with hundreds of McMaster students who encounter unforeseen problems that interfere with their academic performance and/or emotional well-being. University students are capable, talented, intelligent and resilient people, but they are not immune to pressure. In fact, the academic stress caused by the challenge and competition that characterize most university programs can magnify other difficulties that students experience, and can stir up any emotional vulnerabilities they may already have – sometimes even if they have already dealt with them in the past.
There are numerous concerns for which students seek counselling. These include but are not limited to: Alcohol and drug problems, anger, anxiety, assertiveness, bereavement, body image, childhood physical, emotional or sexual abuse, depression, family problems, homesickness, identity, loneliness, loss of motivation, mental health issues, pain, problems with food or body image, procrastination, relationship problems, low self-esteem, sexual assault, sexuality, and test anxiety.
Supporting educational goals and the mental health and wellness of our students is the primary focus of the Student Wellness Centre at McMaster University. According to Statistics Canada, teenagers and young adults aged 15-24 experience the highest incidence of mental illness of any age group in Canada. Thus, comprehensive, strengths-based, client-centered and supportive programs are the focus of McMaster’s Mental Health and Wellness Team.
It is important for our students and health professionals to recognize that the school environment poses distinct challenges for students. With understanding and co-operation, the Student Wellness Centre’s team work with students to help them reach their educational and life goals even if they are facing mental health concerns.