A team of professionally trained mental health counsellors (registered psychotherapists, social workers, and GP Psychotherapists) who specialize in issues impacting those who have experienced sexual violence, 2SLGBTQ+ students, black, indigenous, students of colour, and international students. Our counsellors support students struggling with a wide variety of concerns including (but not limited to) anxiety, depression, academic and/or personal stress, relationship problems, sexual violence, and adjustment to university.

Please Note: GP Psychotherapists are family physicians with a special designation who provide specialized CBT, CPT and other services outside of counselling support for mental health issues like ADHD and complex trauma. You will require a referral to access their care through your primary care physician.

Counselling Services provides care to enrolled students at Carleton University. This includes both undergraduate and graduate students. We acknowledge and embrace diversity in its multiple forms, including but not limited to, physical ability, age, cultural identity, ethnicity, gender identity, nationality, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, and the intersection of these various identities. We are committed to providing supports in a safe, inclusive, accepting, and empowering environment.

Please Note: Students who are not currently enrolled in classes due to graduation, withdrawal and/or due to dismissal are NOT eligible.

What is Single-Session Counselling?

Connect quickly and directly with professional counsellors who will help you generate impactful solutions for mental health concerns and provide access to additional resources if required, for example brief individual counselling, group counselling and workshops, or other resources that may be helpful. Visit the CHR Connect App or the CHR Connect Website to book an appointment.

Single-Session Counselling is right for you if:

• You have a specific problem or goal to discuss but can’t figure out what to do about it or how to get started
• You would like support addressing a conflict or communication issue
• You are struggling with the stress of balancing the demands of your academic life
• You are action-oriented and would like solutions that you can implement right away

Single-Session Counselling works best when you come to the appointment prepared with an idea of what you would like to get out of the session. You will work with a counsellor to develop a clear plan of action. After the session, you’ll be able to take some steps and move forward on your own. Many students find that one session is enough to meet their needs. If you feel that something more is needed, you can discuss next steps with your counsellor.

What is Brief Individual Counselling?

Brief individual counselling is available for students who require more support in generating impactful solutions for mental health concerns. This goal-directed approach will focus on short-term goals and solutions to promote positive mental health, rather than an exploration and analysis of past problems. These sessions will help to address concerns that may interfere with your ability to realize your optimal level of wellness. Referrals are made through Single-Session appointments and you will collaborate with your counsellor to identify and address what is achievable within our brief model.

What is Group Counselling and Workshops?

Group Counselling is available to you in addition to Single-Session Counselling to help you build skills, coping strategies, and a support system by providing a safe and supportive environment where you can share your experiences and connect with others. Our groups and workshops are facilitated by counsellors trained in a variety of approaches. During these sessions, you can feel free to participate as much or as little as you like.

Group Counselling and Workshops are helpful to: 

• Learn that you are not alone in feeling a certain way
• Increase your awareness of helpful behaviours and coping strategies by interacting with others who may have similar concerns
• Practice and improve your interpersonal skills to use outside of the group
• Get to know and make friends with other students on campus

To view complete group and workshop descriptions, please check out our Therapy Group Descriptions Winter 2025.

At Carleton, we are committed to supporting as many students as possible with accessible and timely services. However, given the increasing demands on mental health services and our limitations in providing long-term mental health care, some services extend beyond our scope of care, or require very specialized providers.

Students whose needs cannot be accommodated will be guided to the most effective levels of available care on campus or within the community. We will be clear with you when we are unable to provide the services you need and will help to identify appropriate options. Referrals may be discussed during the initial meeting and/or in follow-up sessions when further assessment of needs has been done.

Students can access AccessMHA, a resource to help you find mental health, substance use health, and addictions support, services, and care.

Students also have access to free counselling through their undergraduate or graduate student health plan. Health plans for CUSA and GSA provide a predetermined amount of coverage for psychological services. If you opted out of the student health plan, you likely have coverage through an alternate health plan (i.e. parents).

Single-Session appointments are available online 3 days in advance. Visit the CHR Connect App or the CHR Connect Website to book an appointment. If you do not see any appointments available, please check the website again the following morning for availability.

Single-Session Counselling is not a quick fix, but it can be a helpful way to start to implement change. While it can be useful when you’re struggling with a problem, it is also a great way to build skills, such as communication, assertiveness, self-awareness and problem-solving.

You can access Single-Session Counselling more than once. However, it is our expectation that before returning you will take 2-3 weeks to try out the plan that was co-created in your session.

Counselling sessions are included in your Student Health Fee each term. You will not be required to pay any additional costs apart from any no-show fees which are incurred when we are provided with less than 24 hours notice for a cancellation. Mental health support in the community can be costly. For example, the average private therapy session costs $150.00 or more and reduced-fee community services often have a significant waitlist. We aim to keep the Student Health Fee low and the quality-of-care high.

Yes! If you have specific preferences for a counsellor who works with a particular population or specialization you will be able to review this information when booking a Single-Session Counselling appointment online. We encourage booking the next available appointment, but you always have the option to look for counsellors who have a specialization that is of value to you. Many of our counsellors have their bios on our website. Please note that we aim to continue to increase the diversity and experience of our team to better reflect our student needs.

With Single-Session Counselling, you may not always be paired with the same counsellor for additional visits, but counsellors will begin your next session with a review of the progress you have made on your “next steps”.

Students who are receiving brief individual counselling may request to change their counsellor if they feel they are not able to make progress with the assigned counsellor. Students will be asked to consult with a manager about this transfer who will have a supportive conversation with you to understand the request and better meet your needs. Please send an email to hcs@carleton.ca.

Counselling is most effective when counsellors and students work together, and progress is most likely to occur when students continue to work on their goals between sessions. If you feel you are not making progress, it is important to give your counsellor this feedback and work together to adjust your plan so it works best for you.

Students are responsible for behaving respectfully and following the Students Rights and Responsibilities Policy when accessing any services, including Counselling Services, within Carleton University. Abusive behaviours will not be tolerated.

Health and Counselling Services cannot provide documentation to support petitions or appeals to first time visitors. Students who attend only Single-Session Counselling are eligible for a Letter of Attendance. Ongoing clients may receive documentation under certain extenuating circumstances at the discretion of their counsellor or provider.

Please review our page on our cancellation and no-show policy.

Counselling records are confidential and are not included in academic records.

Counselling Services collects information for the purpose of providing counselling services to our students. Counselling Services follows legislated privacy obligations in accordance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) and when applicable, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), such as when assisting in an accommodation process.

Our professional staff (regulated health professionals, office assistants, and management) are committed to collecting, using, and disclosing personal health information responsibly and only to the extent necessary for the services we provide.

Counselling Services currently uses an electronic record keeping system called Collaborative Health Record (CHR). Access to counselling records in CHR is restricted to Counselling Services employees and information is protected through the use of technical and administrative safeguards such as restricted access permissions, multi-factor authentication and use of other industry standard security controls.

Counselling Services does not release any information without your written permission. However, there are some exceptional situations where Counselling Services is required to disclose your information without your consent. These exceptions include:

1. If you intend to harm yourself.
2. If you intend to harm another person.
3. If you or your counsellor has a strong reason to think that a Carleton University community member may be at risk of harm based on information that you provided in your session.
4. If there is a reasonable suspicion that a child (any individual up to their 18th birthday) is at risk of emotional and/or physical neglect or emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse. We are required by law to report this immediately.
5. If an elderly person in a Long-Term Care Home or Retirement home is at risk of emotional or any form of maltreatment.
6. If your counselling record is subpoenaed by law.
7. If you have a complaint about a regulated health professional (e.g. doctor, nurse, psychologist, chiropractor, or massage therapist, etc.) with respect to their inappropriate sexual behavior towards you, and you provide us with that individual’s name, we are required to report this complaint to their regulatory body.