Where should I start?
One of the easiest ways to access mental health services is to contact uOttawa Counselling Services. Depending on your needs, they’ll suggest different service choices, such individual or group therapy, to help you find strategies to overcome personal challenges (grief, financial stress, anxiety, etc.). It’s the simplest option if you don’t know University services well and need help. If you’re living with a disability or have received a medical diagnosis requiring accommodations for your courses or exams, email the Academic Accommodations Service.
Long-term, specialized mental health services are available off campus, at little or no cost for students who pay health insurance premiums. Undergraduate students (including international students) have free access to Empower Me for unlimited psychotherapy sessions. These services are offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in many languages. For graduate students, the LifeWorks Student Support Program offers unlimited free psychotherapy sessions, even for those who have opted out of the health insurance plan. To access the program, call 1-855-649-8641 anytime or go to the LifeWorks website.
Specialized resources for Black, Indigenous or racialized students
For many racialized students, there’s a strong stigma around mental health issues, especially for those in need who also have problems accessing services adapted to their cultural reality. One way to end this stigma is to take part in one of our support groups led by psychotherapists from racialized communities. For an individual appointment, email therapist Pierre Bercy, who provides services to all uOttawa students, particularly those who are racialized. Indigenous students also have access to the Indigenous Resource Centre (IRC), which offers a peer support program, counselling, mentoring and meetings with an elder-in-residence. To access these services, email the IRC to register.
If you want to see a psychotherapist in private practice, your student health insurance will reimburse you for 80% of the cost of each appointment. Counselling Connect has lists of racialized psychotherapists. To be reimbursed, Canadian students or permanent residents must register with insurer Green Shield using their student number, and submit their receipts online. If you need help, call 1-888-711-1119. International students must enrol in the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP). Learn more about UHIP.
A must: Get a family physician
If you don’t have a family physician or you need to see someone often for a health issue, the ByWard Family Health Team is a readily available resource. They offer access to free services, including in psychiatry, nutrition and physiotherapy. For quick access to a family physician (the process takes about three weeks), you need a valid health card. Register online with the ByWard Family Health Team. You can also call them at 613-564-3950.
Finally, one way to really break your isolation is to take part in the campus activities organized throughout the academic year!
Daniella Ingabire
M.A Candidate in Social work and Equity and student success counsellor at the Faculty of Law, Civil Law Section