MENTAL HEALTH
Counselling
Our team has a range of training and clinical experience. We can help you manage personal challenges that may be causing barriers to your academic success.
If you are struggling with any of the following, we are here for you.
- Personal concerns, such as stress, anxiety, depression, anger, loneliness, guilt, low self-esteem and grief
- Relationship concerns, such as issues in romantic relationships, with roommates or family, in your social life
- Developmental concerns, such as identity (e.g., personal, cultural, sexual orientation, gender identity), adjustment to university and life transitions
- Academic concerns, such as test anxiety and perfectionism
- Other concerns, such as the effects of trauma, sexual assault, abuse, body image and disordered eating
Wellness and Psychological Services will continue to offer a hybrid service delivery model. Students will be offered the option of choosing in-person, online or telephone counselling sessions. While preferences will be considered, we cannot guarantee that the delivery mode of choice will be accommodated.
On June 14, 2022, the provincial public health restrictions were lifted and masking is no longer required in our common area spaces. However, our clinicians may request that you wear a mask during sessions.
Accessing counselling services
Book an appointment
If you haven’t accessed counselling services before, you can call us at 780-497-5063, contact us by email at wps@macewan.ca or walk-in to 7-103A to set up an initial consultation. In some instances, a support person can attend the initial consultation with you. If you’d like a support person to attend, please let us know when you book your appointment.
We will contact you by telephone or email to schedule the initial consultation.
Meeting options
Initial consultations are held by telephone, video meetings or in-person. When we contact you to schedule the initial consultation, you can let us know which option best meets your needs. Appointments take place during consultation hours: Monday-Friday, 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. (except Wednesday mornings).
At the consultation
At this free and confidential 30-minute conversation with a counsellor, you explore your reasons for seeking help and discuss the best course of action for you. At your appointment you can:
- Determine whether Wellness and Psychological Services is a good match for your needs
- Receive helpful resources specific to your concern
- Book follow-up appointments when appropriate
- Find information about treatment and therapy options if the service doesn’t meet your needs or appointment times are fully booked
If you are in crisis
Initial consultation appointments are booked at least 72 hours in advance. If you are in crisis or in need of immediate support, please proceed to your nearest hospital emergency ward or dial 911. For crisis support, phone ACCESS 24/7 at 780-424-2424 ext. 2, the 24-hour Distress Line at 780-482-4357, or Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.
If you were assigned a clinician after an initial consultation within the past six months, you can contact us to discuss scheduling options for a follow-up appointment. Ongoing counselling is available in person or by telephone or video.
Wellness and Psychological Services requires a minimum of 24 hours’ notice for cancellations or to reschedule an appointment. If less than 24 hours’ notice is provided, pre-booked appointments are automatically cancelled and a $10 fee will apply. Clients are required to pay outstanding fees in-person (via Interac Debit, Visa or Mastercard) before booking further appointments.
If you require documentation to support a deferral of an exam or assignment due to extenuating personal circumstances or other compelling reason, a Wellness and Psychological Services staff member may be able to provide what you need.
Requests for documentation must be made in person. Before meeting with a counsellor, we encourage you to discuss extensions, deferrals and withdrawals with your instructors. As well, please familiarize yourself with the following forms: deferred examination request form, exception request form, extension of incomplete grade agreement form.
What to expect
Counselling is an active process where a student works with a trained professional in a supportive environment to address a specific goal and improve functioning in one or more areas of their life. Counselling sessions are targeted, directive conversations that often involve learning and practicing new skills.
We use a short-term counselling model, which allows us to support as many students as possible, with the majority experiencing significant growth and progress towards achieving their goals. If you would benefit from longer-term or more specialized services, we work with you to find appropriate supports in the community.
We provide free, confidential, professional services in three areas: individual counselling, group counselling and case management.
Individual counselling
In individual counselling, you and a counsellor address a range of concerns that affect your well-being and academic performance. These may include stress, anxiety, feeling low, loneliness, relationship issues, eating concerns, addictions and more.
Together with your counsellor, you decide how many times you will meet and how often, which depends on factors such as availability of resources, your needs, the progress you’re making toward meeting your goal(s) and so on. Individual therapy sessions are 50 minutes in length. They take place during office hours, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
You can request a specific counsellor, although we cannot guarantee availability. You can bring someone to keep you company in the waiting room before your appointment.
Group counselling
Group counselling is a great way to build new skills, learn from others who are facing similar challenges, get support and develop communication skills. Our groups are facilitated by professionals with clinical experience in a range of areas, including depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety and emotion regulation.
Typically, group therapy takes place once a week for eight weeks, during the fall and winter terms. Start dates are posted at the beginning of each semester. If you are interested in group therapy, you need to attend an initial consultation first.
Group therapy is a new experience for many people, so it’s normal to feel uncertain about it. The video below explains what group therapy is—and isn’t—and why it might be worth trying.
Learn about the role emotions play in how we go about our day and learn skills to tend to them so they don’t take over. Our goal is to help you learn to feel connected with yourself, your feelings and how to take care of your needs.
This group is geared toward students experiencing anxiety and explores topics such as mindfulness, committed action, values and self-compassion. This group involves practicing skills to relate differently to difficult thoughts and feelings in the service of living a meaningful life.
A positive-psychology group for anyone experiencing low mood or melancholy, including students who have been feeling a general sense of apathy. The group focuses on improving quality of life and exploring concepts like individual strengths, values and gratitude.
A cognitive-behavioural group designed to help with depression that touches on goal-setting and motivation, lifestyle factors that affect mood, and how our thinking can contribute to depression.
A group designed to help you to identify and change thoughts associated with your feared situations, practice facing your social fears in a safe and supportive environment, and build communication and social skills to help you increase your comfort and self-confidence in social or performance situations.
This cognitive-behavioural group is for any student who is experiencing anxiety and is hoping to develop new ways to approach it. The purpose of the group is to educate about anxiety, teach skills to manage stress or anxiety levels, decrease avoidance of feared situations, and change thoughts, feelings and behaviours related to worry.
A simple, positive, empowering group for people who want to improve work, personal, and family relationships. The program teaches strategies for incorporating changes into their daily life. The participant’s manual engages participants to use the skills they learn in class throughout the week and after the program is finished.
Case management
Case management is a goal-focused, active process in which you and your clinician address a specific barrier that impacts your wellness. For example, our case managers are able to assist you with legal, financial and housing issues. A case management focus connects you with resources, both on- and off-campus, to minimize the negative impact from an identified barrier so you can then focus on your capacity and wellness.
To connect with a case manager, please complete an initial consultation.
Services we do not offer
If you require services that are outside of our scope of practice, we can help connect you with appropriate referral resources. We do provide non-clinical counselling services. We do not provide psychological assessments and/or counselling for:
- Court-mandated services (e.g., anger-management or substance abuse programs)
- Requirements by employers, government agencies or academic departments
- Obtaining documentation for academic, employment, travel or housing accommodations
- Clinical diagnosis
- Litigation or court purposes
- Psychoeducational assessments (Contact the Access and Disability Resources office. They may be able to help.)
As well, we do not have any physicians or psychiatrists on staff who can prescribe medication. However, if medication is indicated, our counsellors can refer you to the appropriate medical professionals within the Edmonton community.
Wellness and Psychological Services does not provide counselling to faculty and staff. However, counselling services are available through the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), which provides immediate and confidential assistance for any work, health or life concern experienced by MacEwan faculty or staff. Faculty and staff can also access counselling resources by contacting ACCESS 24/7 at 780-424-2424.