Counselling services

Counselling is a type of talking therapy to discuss your problems and feelings in a confidential and helping environment.

Counsellors are trained to listen, and help you deal with negative thoughts and uncomfortable feelings. Your counsellor will work collaboratively with you to overcome issues that are causing emotional pain or making you feel uncomfortable. Counsellors may draw on a range of different resources in the process.

Our counselling model is short-term, deals with more practical and immediate issues, and focuses on finding solutions, both practical and emotional for a current situation. Counselling is delivered by different professionals. We have both social workers and psychologists in our team who are experienced counsellors.

When you submit a 'New Client’ form, a counsellor from the intake team will contact you via phone as soon as possible. If they are unable to reach you when calling, they will send you an SMS and email. When they contact you, they'll ask a few questions about your situation. By discussing your concerns, the counsellor and you can gain a clearer understanding of your situation, as well as help you identify some potential solutions.

Sometimes, issues can be resolved in that initial contact. Other times, the counsellor might suggest booking in for a counselling appointment or refer you to a service that is better suited to your situation. Booked counselling sessions are usually 45 minutes. In the first session the counsellor will introduce themselves and help you feel safe and supported to talk about the issues you are experiencing. They will ask a few questions to understand you and your situation. You will work together to develop a plan with next steps and strategies to try. The counsellor will arrange a follow-up session if needed.

Your counsellor might provide you with homework and other resources to equip you in self-managing your issues in the long-term.

It is common to only require one or a few counselling sessions to address the issues that are troubling you. If more sessions are required, your counsellor will let you know and inform you of services available in the community. 

For a phone appointment, the counsellor will call you at the scheduled time (which may come through as a private number). If you miss the call, please check the voicemail, or call back our service on 8201 2118.

For video calls we will discuss our options during the intake call, and you will receive an invite or email confirmation with the link for you to click on at the scheduled time of the appointment.

When having your appointment with a counsellor by telehealth, there are some important things to ensure:

• Please be in a quiet and private space where you will not be disturbed for up to 50-60 minutes.
• Whether you use a smartphone, laptop, tablet, or computer, make sure your device is charged and is equipped with an operational camera, microphone and speakers.
• For video calls, make sure your private space has a reliable and stable internet connection. For telephone calls make sure you have good phone reception.

We are unable to conduct counselling sessions if you are driving a car for your safety. We are unable to conduct counselling sessions if you are on public transport for privacy concerns. We will reschedule the session. 

It is common and normal to feel nervous or unsure when contacting our service or seeing a counsellor. Our team are professional and experienced and can speak to you about a range of issues which may include:

• Personal issues affecting studies
• Feeling stressed and wanting to manage issues causing stress
• Adjusting to changes (moving to new place, attending university)
• Feeling anxious regarding exams and assignments
• Perfectionism affecting studies
• Self-esteem and confidence issues
• Experiences of depression and anxiety
• Difficulty with motivation and procrastination
• Difficulties making an important decision
• Relationships and interpersonal issues and breakups
• Grief and loss
• Support after experiencing a crisis or traumatic event
• Understanding further about mental health and mental wellbeing.

A chat with a counsellor is a good first step if there are things going on in your life that are impacting your ability to study. Counsellors are trained to help you to problem-solve and work out the next steps to take. 

The earlier you reach out for assistance, the easier it is to find solutions to problems. 

If you are needing more practical support regarding academic issues (such as re-marks & re-submissions, grade appeals, academic integrity issues, issues with University staff and remission of student fees) please contact FUSA Student Assist who are helpful with providing advocacy and advice.

If you need support with practical study tips, including academic writing, math/statistics, referencing and English language support, you may find the Student Learning Support Service helpful.

A full list of Student support options can be found at the Support and Services Directory.

For more general enquiries please contact Flinders Connect.

The primary purpose of the Counselling Service is to provide support to assist you to better cope with and manage issues that you may be struggling with. If you have engaged with the Counselling Service during the time of distressing circumstances, we may be able to complete supporting documentation if relevant and applicable.

If you did not have contact with us at that time, we recommend you seek support from a professional you did have contact with. For example, your GP or other university support staff.

If attending your first counselling session, please be aware that the counsellor may not be able to complete documentation. However, you are still welcome to have counselling if you want support in coping with and managing your situation.

Flinders University is committed to providing a safe and respectful learning environment for all staff and students. Flinders takes discrimination seriously and has equal opportunity and anti-discrimination policies in place to support positive student experiences.

At the Counselling Service, we are mindful that some students may be cautious about seeking help because of fears of overt or subtle discrimination. This includes LGBTIQA+ students, indigenous students, culturally and linguistically diverse students, students of faith, neurodivergent students and students with mental illness or disability. Our goal is to make the Counselling Service a safe space for everyone. We have undertaken several service trainings to help students from diverse backgrounds feel welcome[JZ1] [CK2] [GU3] .

You can also access confidential support and information related to discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment or bullying from the Student Equal Opportunity Advisor. Please contact (08) 8201 2118 or email studenteo@flinders.edu.au.

Short answer - yes. Conversations with counsellors are not shared with anyone outside of the service without your permission. However, if we are concerned of a serious risk to your safety or the safety of others, we have a legal obligation to disclose this information.

Information on your file can only be accessed by the Health, Counselling and Disability Services. Academic staff do not have access to this information, and information provided during counselling is not recorded on any academic records.

In instances where sexual assault or sexual harassment has occurred within the Flinders University community, information about the disclosure may be reported through the university’s online reporting system by counselling staff, and this disclosure can be recorded anonymously

For a full description of the confidentiality and privacy policy, including how we handle your information, see the "Privacy and Confidentiality" section of our service brochure and Flinders Privacy Policy. If you have any further questions, please contact one of our counselling team to discuss.

If you want to cancel the appointment because you no longer need it or need to reschedule to a different time/day, please call 8201 2118 as soon as possible. The sooner you let us know, the sooner you can reschedule yourself to a more suitable time. It also allows us to offer the original appointment time to another student who needs it.

If you are running more than 10 minutes late, please call ahead and let us know on 8201 2118. Your counsellor can still see you for the remaining time of the appointment or you can reschedule if you prefer. 

Call our Out-of-hours Crisis line. This confidential support service is available to all students who are experiencing emotional distress and/or mental health issues.

It is available each weeknight from 5.00pm to 9.00am and available 24hrs a day on weekends and public holidays.

There are two ways to contact the line:

• Call 1300 512 409 to speak with someone
• Send a text message to 0488 884 103 to initiate a text discussion.

Between business hours of 9.00am and 5.00pm on weekdays, please use the regular Health, Counselling and Disability services phone line – 8201 2118 or email counselling@flinders.edu.au.

Counselling services are also offered via telephone and video call appointments, meaning that you do not need to be on campus (or even in Adelaide) to utilise the service. 

If you are studying in regional or remote areas and would like a face-to-face service, contact with us and we will provide you with local options.

We produce a Student Health and Wellbeing Blog which provides news and articles on the topics of mental health and productivity. Some of the recent posts can be found below. Full blog can be found here.

We run a range of programs that teach students different mental health and productivity skills and tools. You can learn more about these on the Student Health and Wellbeing Blog.

There is also a Chaplaincy service available at Oasis through which some students receive support. More details about this service are below and at the Oasis website.   

The Student Assist program at Flinders University Student Association provides academic advocacy and financial counselling/support. 

Flinders Connect offers in-person, phone, and online support for student related issues such as enrolment, fees, exams, graduations, and general queries. 

A full list of Student support options can be found at the Support and Services Directory.