1. Counselling & Support Services
A. Health & Wellness Centre
The Health & Wellness Centre on St. George Campus offers a full range of physical and mental health services, including psychotherapy, group counselling, assault counselling, psychiatric services and pharmacotherapy. Visit U of T Health & Wellness for more information.
The University of Toronto Graduate Students Union also provides ‘Graduate Counselling Services’ through which students can book appointments with a Wellness Counsellor. The focus of the counselling is on strengths, resiliency, and skills building. To book an appointment please contact the Health and Wellness Center or School of Graduate Studies.
Main Office
Health & Wellness
214 College Street, Second Floor, Room 232
Koffler Student Services Centre, M5T 2Z9
SGS Office
Graduate Students' Health & Wellness
63 St. George Street, Room 207a
School of Graduate Studies
Phone: 416-978-8030 (selection option 5) to schedule a weekday appointment
B. U of T Telus Health Student Support (THSS)
U of T Telus Health Student Support provides U of T students with immediate and/or ongoing confidential, 24-hour support for any school, health and general life concern at no cost to students. You can call and chat with a counsellor directly from your phone. Students who use THSS still have access to mental health services on campus; THSS is an additional support service.
Download the U of T Telus Health Student Support app from the Apple App Store and Google Play. You can also access the service by calling 24/7 1-844-451-9700. Outside Canada call 001-416-380-6578.
C. The Member Assistance Program (MAP)
MAP through the Law Society of Upper Canada offers counselling services and a legal professionals peer support network.
The MAP is offered to all law students, lawyers, and paralegals, as well as their family members.
You can access MAP to register or log into the Member Services Area. The Member Services Area offers resources, programs, and information on health and wellness.
MAP also offers a variety of different services, such as counselling, coaching, online resources, and peer volunteers. Members can get professional help with issues related to addictions, mental, or physical health, work-life balance, career, family, and more.
Counselling with MAP is offered in-person, online, or by telephone. Online counselling can involve either a live, real time chat with a counsellor, or an e-mail exchange. All counselling offered is confidential.
For Online Counselling, registration can be done online, or by phone at 1-855-403-8922. Students who are abroad can call 514-875-0720 (call collect).
MAP also offers a “Health and Wellness Companion” in their Member Services Area, which is a self-guided program with the goal of creating a personal plan of action to improve your health. It involves Self Assessment tools like Health Risk Assessments.
The Member Services Area contains a health library: a library of articles and resources on improving health and wellness. And, MAP provides resources for finding Child care or Elder care providers in Canada.
If you have any questions or inquiries you can call them at 1-855-403-8922. Services through the MAP are confidential and available to law students free of charge.
D. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) Psychology Clinic
The OISE Psychology Clinic is a clinical training facility that provides psychotherapy and assessment services to adults, children and adolescents. Supervision is provided by registered psychologists who are faculty members in the Counselling & Clinical Psychology and the School & Clinical Child Psychology programs.
Clinic fees vary depending on the service being provided. A sliding fee scale may be available for some services. For more information, please contact the intake line at 416-978-0654.
E. University of Toronto Graduate Student’s Union Health and Benefit Plan
Additionally, the University of Toronto Graduate Student’s Union provides a health and benefit plan that partially covers appointments with Psychologists or Masters of Social Work individuals (http://www.studentcare.ca/RTEContent/Document/EN/Miscellaneous/UTGSU_benefit_booklet.pdf).
F. Community Counselling
Across Boundaries provides equitable, inclusive and holistic mental health and addiction services for racialized communities within anti-racism, anti-Black racism and anti-oppression frameworks.
CAMH is Canada’s largest mental health hospital providing assessment, brief intervention, inpatient programs, continuing care, outpatient services and family support for a wide range of challenges to patients of all ages.
Hong Fook Mental Health Association provides a continuum of services ranging from treatment of illness, stigma reduction to promotion of wellness primarily to Asian communities.
2. Crisis Support Services
Crisis Support Services are available 24/7 and free of charge and confidentially from a variety of organizations in Toronto, including:
- Good2Talk: Telephone support line for post-secondary students, 1-866-925-5454.
- Toronto Distress Centre: Telephone crisis and support line, 416-408-HELP (4357).
- Gerstein Centre: Crisis telephone support line and Mobile Crisis Team, 416-929-5200.
- Assaulted Women’s Helpline: Telephone crisis line and support referrals, 416-863-0511, text to #SAFE (7233).
- Toronto Rape Crisis Centre: Crisis line/support service for anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted, or abused, 416-597-8808.
- Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Care Centre: Comprehensive service that assists women, men, and trans people who are victims / survivors of sexual assault and domestic / intimate partner violence, 416-323-6040.
- Community Crisis Line Scarborough and Rouge Hospital: 416 495-2891 for 24/7 telephone crisis support. (Service borders: south to the lake, north to Steeles Avenue, east to Port Union Road, and west to Victoria Park)
- Durham Crisis and Mental Health Line: 905 666-0483
- Oakville Distress Centre: 905 849-4541 for residents of Halton Region (Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville)
3. Other Wellness Supports
A. Health and Wellness Workshops
The Health and Wellness Center offers a diverse set of workshops that are open to all students. These workshops include:
(a) Better breath
"For breath is life, so if you breathe well you will live long on earth."– Sanskrit proverb
Learn about the many benefits of incorporating more restorative breath, try new techniques for relaxation and muscle tension reduction, and learn new tips for making time to breathe.
(b) Better sleep
A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for everything. - Irish proverb
Are you feeling too busy or stressed to sleep properly?
Come learn more about what you can do to improve your sleep and feel more rested and refreshed.
(c) Better coping skills
If you're having trouble coping with the demands of university life - or even regular everyday situations - this series of workshops can help you build the skills you need to thrive.
The Health and Wellness Center in conjunction with the School of Graduate Studies offers additional workshops designed for graduate students that will help you develop your coping skills so that you can better meet the demands of university, work and your personal life.
For more information, please visit the School of Graduate Studies website.
Registration: Registration for the SGS workshops can be done by calling the Health & Wellness Centre at 416-978-8030 or contacting your intake counsellor/clinician. Registration is limited to 20 participants, so register early! If you have accommodation needs, please advise during registration.
(d) Grief support sharing circle
Everyone grieves in his or her own unique way. When someone you love dies, you may feel angry, isolated, sad, guilty and lonely. The grief support sharing circle is an informal drop-in mutual support group for students who have experienced a death, as well as students experiencing anticipatory grief. The group is comprised of undergraduate, graduate, PhD and post-doc students with mixed types of loss.
(e) Mindfulness
Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. - Jon Kabat-Zinn
Learn how to relax and focus in the midst of daily stress. Experience the health benefits of mindfulness through one of our workshops or drop-in sessions on campus.
(f) safeTALK - Suicide alertness for everyone
SafeTALK is a 3-hour training workshop designed to ensure that people with thoughts of suicide are connected to helpers who are prepared to provide first aid interventions. All participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the whole training. The training is offered throughout the year and is free for all students currently studying at University of Toronto.
To learn more about safeTALK, the schedule of workshops for 2017-18 and to register: safeTALK.
B. Other U of T Supports
For more information on counselling and support resources available to graduate students at the University or in the wider community, please contact the Graduate Program team at graduate.law@utoronto.ca and copy the Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs, Emily Orchard at emily.orchard@utoronto.ca or 416-978-6702.