Commonly asked questions about the Student Counselling Centre
Who can receive support at the Student Counseling Centre (SCC) and do you provide help to international students?
The SCC provides support to University of Manitoba students – this includes International students, English Language Centre students, and International College of Manitoba (ICM) students.
Can I receive support while on suspension or while taking a leave of absence?
We offer counselling workshops and groups to students on suspension or taking a leave of absence. Individual counselling services are reserved for students actively engaged in their studies (i.e., taking courses, conducting research or academic writing, completing a field placement, etc.) and students not studying in the spring and summer but who were registered in the preceding winter term and plan to return to studies in the fall.
Do you provide help to students living outside of Manitoba or in another country?
Yes. Limited services are available including intake appointments, individual counselling and registration in some workshops and groups.
I’ve heard that there is a long waitlist at the SCC. Is this true?
There is no wait list for most services provided by the SCC. Students referred for ongoing individual counselling may have a wait for this service depending on the intensity of their need and the demand for this service. Students placed on a wait list for ongoing individual counselling are offered other supports.
Is there a limit to the number of individual counselling sessions I can receive?
Each student’s situation and needs are professionally assessed to determine the level of support that best meets their needs, including the number of counselling sessions that may be required if they are referred to individual counselling services. Our records show that most students receive approximately 5 to 6 individual counselling sessions each year.
I’ve heard that some students who want help are not offered ongoing individual counselling, even though that is what they want. Is this true?
Each student’s situation and needs are professionally assessed to help us develop a wellness plan that connects them with the level of support that best meets their needs. This could include self-directed resources on our website or other websites, workshops, groups, brief counselling or other services. We always offer some support to every student who contacts us.
Is there a cost for your services?
All our services are free with the exception of 2 psychological inventories that we offer– the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Strong Interest Inventory (SII). Each of these inventories costs $35.00. You will not be charged for individual sessions, group sessions or workshops, or other assessment services.
How secure are your records and are your counselling records connected with student files?
SCC client records are maintained on a secure University of Manitoba server (client records are maintained electronically) and are completely independent of any other records at the University of Manitoba (i.e., they are not connected to your student records or any other record on or off campus).
Can I get documentation from the SCC to assist in academic requests/appeals?
Documentation may be provided if warranted and if you received services from the SCC during the time of your academic difficulty. For example, we may be able to provide documentation if you received support last year and are applying for authorized withdraws for your courses last year. We would not be able to provide documentation if we did not have any contact with you last year.
Please contact your counsellor or our main office if you did receive services from us and would like to request documentation.
Learn more from SCC Director David Ness and SCC Counsellor Dana McDonald about some of the most common questions the SCC hears from students.