Question: I am worried about if the counselling sessions are worth it or not because I do not want to open up completely to a stranger and they werent even helpful. This has happened all throughout my high school life and I dont want it to happen in uni.

Response:

It can be challenging to take that step and seek counselling. If you then open up and find you are not helped in the way you had hoped, it is very discouraging. So, considering your experience, I am sorry this happened and I can appreciate your hesitation.

Some students have told me that the counselling they experienced at Student Counselling Services was very different than what they got in high school. One possible contributing factor is that school counsellors do not always have the kind of time and training required to offer the counselling that students are seeking. I can tell you that all counsellors at MRU are registered professionals (either registered psychologists or registered social workers trained in psychosocial interventions) and we offer short-term counselling to support students in their personal and academic success. The other contributing factor may be that students have grown a lot since they sought counselling in high school. As an adult, you may have more clear goals for counselling and can engage in a different way in the process than you were able to as a teen.

If you try counselling at MRU it will likely be different because of these factors. However, it does not mean that counselling will be exactly what you want in the first session. It might very well be amazing and you will feel relief and hope. You might walk away with a bit of insight, a strategy for coping, and feel curious about next steps. You might reach the end of the session and you and your counsellor might just have just gotten to the point where you both understand what your goals are for counselling, and you have only the very beginnings of a plan for change. You might just have had the chance to share your story and you feel tired and emotional after the session. So a first session can be quite different depending on the student, the concern, the counsellor, and the extent to which you can build a connection and working relationship. Sometimes that working relationship and connection is quick to bloom, sometimes it takes longer, sometimes people find another counsellor is a better match.

Despite the different possible outcomes noted above, I hope that you will feel listened to and that you will gain some clarity around the changes you are looking for.

I hope this information helps you to take another chance at finding the help you are hoping for.

All the best,

Mirjam Knapik, Ph.D., R. Psych.