Hi! I was thinking about signing up for a counselor session, but am unsure...

Question:

Hi! I was thinking about signing up for a counselor session, but am unsure. Can you provide some feedback if you personally found this helpful for mainly academic stress and or depression?

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Response 1:

Personally, I find counselling incredibly helpful. (I’m 100% behind the idea that anyone can benefit from talking to a professional, whether they’re struggling right at that moment or not.) It always depends on the person though: some people will really get on with Dave Mackay or Melody Mann, the school of pharmacy-specifically assigned counsellors, and other people just won’t click. That being said, there’s no reason you can’t see someone different for the next session if the first one didn’t feel like you’d hoped! If you’re considering counselling as an avenue to talk through any problems, acute or chronic, I would definitely make an appointment and see how things go. It never hurts to try. Sometimes I don’t realize how much something is weighing on me until I start talking about it… and the counsellor can be really good at tailoring themselves to you. Sometimes you just want to rant and you don’t really need anything fixed. Other times you want to brainstorm coping strategies because everything you’ve done in the past suddenly doesn’t work. (I’ve been to both of those places, trust me.) Keep in mind that the school of pharmacy has Melody all day on Wednesdays, but if that day doesn’t work for you, the school will pay for a cab to get you to main campus for an appointment. Furthermore, the school insurance covers up to $800 (instead of the $400 last year) to pay for counselling at a private/community office if you don’t like the school counsellors/availability/location/etc. Lastly, your RxPRN mentors are here to support you too! If you want to meet up at the Kitchener Public Library or a coffee shop, we’re here for you. Our profiles online give you a little bit of an idea about each mentor, but also asking for a mentor recommendation from the execs is fine too.

Remember: you’re not alone and it’s okay that you’re struggling right now. There are more people around you than you realize that are happy to help you get through whatever is bothering you. Stay strong.

Response 2:

I’ve personally met up with a counsellor before (mainly for depression) and I’ve also found it helpful. It’s always comforting having a professional to speak to regarding different concerns you may have. If you are suffering from symptoms of depression, I would really encourage you to speak to a professional like Dave or Melody, as it is a more serious mental health topic. That being said, don’t be discouraged if the first few sessions don’t work for you, or if you don’t vibe with Melody/Dave counsellors. There are still other counsellors on main campus, but the wait list for them might be a little longer. Regardless, it’s always helpful to have someone to bounce ideas off of, and listen to an outsider’s perspective on certain topics.

To add on to the super helpful answer above, UW MATES is also a non-pharmacy student peer support program you can reach out to, to schedule an appointment on Thursday/Fridays at the School of Pharmacy. For academic resources, you can always contact Becky Ewan, who is phenomenal at what she does.

I truly hope things work out for you and that you’ll get the guidance, strength and courage you need to get through whatever you’re facing.