Frequently Asked Questions

To book an appointment you can email (csdc@torontomu.ca) call, (416-979-5195), or drop by JOR 07C (lower ground, Jorgenson Hall).  

We ask that you notify us at least 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment so that other students waiting to be seen can be accommodated. A fee of $20.00 will be charged for each appointment not cancelled in advance. The Registrar's Office will be advised of outstanding charges, and as with unpaid library fines, your marks will be withheld pending payment. Urgent and compelling extenuating circumstances affecting your ability to provide the required notice may be considered at your counsellor’s discretion.

If you need to speak with someone right away, you can call:

• Good2Talk, a 24-hour confidential telephone support line for post secondary students at 1-866-925-5454. Visit good2talk.ca for further details.
• The Gerstein Centre Distress Line, a 24-hour crisis line at 416-929-5200. 
• If you require urgent attention dial 911 or go to the emergency unit of your local hospital. Learn more about what to do if you are in crisis.

Counselling is free to Toronto Metropolitan University students who are eligible for our services.

Confidentiality means that neither the information you share with your counsellor nor the fact that you are using our services will be disclosed to anyone outside of the Centre including parents without your written consent.  However there are situations such as if clients are a danger to themselves or others, or a child is being abused or neglected when counsellors are obligated by law and/or professional ethics to inform relevant third parties or authorities. Your counsellor will go over and answer any questions you have about our confidentiality policy at the beginning of your initial appointment. For more information visit our policies page

When you email, call, or drop into the Centre to make an appointment a staff member at the front desk will ask a few questions to get a sense of the nature and urgency of your concerns. You will be sent an electronic form to complete to share this information in writing. You will be booked for your intake appointment, typically within two weeks, at which time you will have an opportunity to talk to a counsellor. At this intake appointment the counsellor will listen in order to understand your needs and concerns, provide some immediate ideas to help you, and talk about next steps for receiving further support.  If your concerns are related to an immediate risk to your safety you will be offered an appointment by the end of the day. Following your appointment the counsellor will discuss your options and associated wait times with you.

Students come to speak with a counsellor for a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, past trauma, homesickness, family problems, loneliness, transition/adjustment issues, disordered eating, grief, career decisions, confusion about their direction in life, and unhappiness with their program of study.  You do not have to be in crisis to seek counselling and most of our clients do not have a mental illness.  In fact, counselling is not just about dealing with problems – it can also help you to gain self-knowledge and develop your potential.

This is an initial appointment with a counsellor at our Centre. The purpose of this intake appointment is to give you an opportunity to talk more about your reasons for seeking counselling and what you hope to get out of the experience.  This is also a chance for you to ask questions about what counselling might offer. If your concerns cannot be resolved in this one session the counsellor will suggest services that can best meet your needs and associated wait times.  This may involve being referred to see one of the CSDC counsellors, recommended to one of our groups, and/or referred to a resource in the community.

Wait times are based on the issues you present and the expertise available at that time.  Every effort will be made to see you as soon as possible. More rapid referrals to community care may be provided to those students who have ready access to financial resources or insurance coverage.

Normally, intake/initial counselling sessions are scheduled for 30-minutes. Subsequent appointments are typically between 30-minutes and 60-minutes.

The counsellors are trained registered mental health professionals and supervised graduate student interns with backgrounds in psychology, counselling or social work. 

Our counsellors are from diverse backgrounds and trained in multicultural sensitivity; however we offer services in English.  Our goal is to create a safe, supportive and welcoming environment for students of all races, ethnicities, languages, cultures, religions, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, abilities, gender identities, sexual identities, and sexual orientations.  If you would prefer to speak with a counsellor in your first language we will try to refer you to an appropriate resource in the community.

A group usually consists of four to 10 clients and one or two counsellor facilitators who meet at the same time weekly for 1 ½  to 2 hours around a shared concern. Groups typically take place over a four to 8 week period. Groups provide an opportunity to explore issues and receive encouragement, feedback and emotional support from other students struggling with similar problems. 

No information will appear on your transcript or will be shared with your parents/teachers.  The services offered at the CSDC are confidential and governed by applicable privacy legislation. For more information visit our policies page