About our service

Counselling and Psychological Support (CAPS) provide free, short-term counselling to all current students.

The service provides brief, solution-focused counselling, which usually means you see a counsellor for a maximum of six sessions.

Where presenting issues may require long-term therapy or support, your counsellor will discuss with you a referral to community-based services.

If you are overseas for a study tour or study abroad, please contact our study abroad team for further advice on local support options.

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Waiting times in peak periods

Cost and eligibility

Counselling is free to students enrolled in a Deakin course with a valid student number.

The service provides brief, solution focused counselling, which usually means you see a counsellor for a maximum of six sessions. Most students find that one or two sessions are sufficient for their needs.

Where presenting issues may require long term therapy or support the counsellor will discuss with you a referral to community based services.

What to expect in a counselling session

During your first counselling appointment, you talk to the counsellor about what is concerning you. They may ask some questions to help clarify what the issue is and what it means to you. They will use their training and experience to assist you to manage the issue you discuss.

Each appointments last about 50 minutes. The counsellor will discuss with you at the end of your first appointment what you would like to happen next. Some students have a single session, while others may arrange for a number of sessions to address their concerns.

Not all issues that students have are appropriate for a university counselling service, so the counsellor will help you find an external counsellor or other health professional in your area when required.

Remember, deciding to see a counsellor can be the most difficult step, but in doing so, you have already set the 'wheels of change' in motion. All change in your life brings mixed emotions, so do changes through counselling. Putting what you think and feel into words for another to hear can be difficult, and you may experience frustration and anxiety as you try out new ways of doing things. With effort and the counsellor's support, the changes will often bring relief and a renewed energy for living and learning.

How counselling can help you

Counselling can help you:

understand your concerns so that you can deal with them better
by offering different perspectives, which helps you think of creative solutions to problems
develop new skills to manage personal and educational issues. Sharing your thoughts and feelings with someone not personally involved in your life can bring enormous relief.

Counsellors are well placed to offer advice and information on university procedures and processes (e.g. special consideration), and can refer you to other professionals where necessary.

Your responsibilities

By making an appointment, you are already assuming responsibility for dealing with the impact the problem is having on you, and this is a good start. Your main responsibility during the appointment is to be as open and honest with the counsellor as you can about your concerns.

Counsellors rarely tell you 'what to do' – your responsibility is to try something new, or take a different approach that may have been raised during the counselling appointment.

If you are running late or need to cancel an appointment, please call as soon as you can to let us know.

Preparing for counselling

If you are looking at making changes, you need to start with the basics of what, why and how. The health and wellbeing resources on our website can help you, as can a visit to a counsellor. Ask yourself the following questions, which may help you organise your thoughts before meeting with a counsellor.

What are you thinking, feeling, or doing that tells you there is a problem?
How are your thoughts, feelings and behaviours affecting your study?
What have you already done to try and fix the problem?
Will you need to contact your lecturers to seek extensions or Special Consideration?
Who else might you seek help from?
What is going well in your life?
What are you doing to care for yourself at the moment?
What do you hope to achieve by talking to a counsellor?

Our counsellors

Confidentiality

Counsellors follow strict guidelines for professional behaviour and confidentiality. Generally, counsellors will not discuss information about you with other university staff outside the counselling service, such as faculty staff or general staff, or with others outside the university such as medical professionals or members of your family without your permission. There are important exceptions when confidentiality cannot be maintained:

when there are serious concerns about your safety or the safety of others
when counsellors seek legal advice from Deakin's solicitors (who are also bound by obligations of confidentiality)
when Deakin or the counsellor has a legal obligation to disclose information.

All records are kept in a secure manner and only used by the counselling team in undertaking normal duties.

Access to your personal record can be obtained through the University freedom of information process. You are encouraged to speak with your counsellor before making your application.

Do I need to bring anything with me when I see a counsellor?

Can I choose to see a male or female counsellor?

What services are available to students outside Australia?

Our CAPS team provide counselling services to students located within Australia.

If you are overseas for a study tour or study abroad, visit the International SOS page for urgent help. For less urgent help, contact your Study abroad representative.

If you are a GIFT City student you can access counselling through the Student Assistance Program.

If you are permanently located overseas, please contact your local health practitioner for further advice and support.