What to expect from mental health therapy

Our Student Wellness Coordinator or your Accessibility Counsellor may have referred you to one of our Mental Health Counsellors for one-on-one therapy. Here is what you can expect during a therapy session. You can also view our counselling FAQ page for more details.

• Appointments can be booked at the end of your session, or by calling the Student LifeLine: 905.721.3392 or emailing studentlifeline@ontariotechu.ca.
• For longer-term or more specialized therapy services, SMHS can provide appropriate community referrals.

What to expect from follow-up appointments:

• Your SMHS counsellor will connect with you at the time of your appointment using the modality that you have requested.  If you requested a Google Meet appointment, your counsellor will send you the link ahead of time.
  
  
• During your session, your counsellor will provide a safe, non-judgmental space for you to work through the challenges you are facing. 
   
• You do not have to share anything that you are uncomfortable sharing.  You will know when you feel safe enough to share.
  
  
• Your counsellor may provide you with strategies or resources to support you.
  
  
• Sometimes your counsellor may refer you to a community support to meet a specific need that you have. For example, some students benefit from case management, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), support for eating disorders or early psychosis intervention.
  
  
• Together with your counsellor, you can decide whether it would be best to book another counselling session, or whether you can manage independently. 
  
  
• You can always reconnect with Student Mental Health Services if the need for counselling arises again.