Connect to free mental health advice online with Ask Counselling
Studying at uni can be feel a little overwhelming at times – whether it’s to do with assignments, personal problems or your mental health.
The first thing to remember is that you’re not alone. Many of your peers are likely feeling the same way and they too are wondering how to cope.
We’re here to support you
Deakin provides personal student counselling for all currently enrolled students who are located in Australia via a team of mental health experts from Counselling and Psychological Support (CAPS). We understand that it can feel a little daunting to talk with a Deakin counsellor one on one. We know some students don’t make counselling appointments because they think that things are ‘not bad enough’ to see a counsellor or they want to find a way of solving it themselves.
Get expert advice online
As a first step, we recommend you ask a question through Ask Counselling, which allows you to receive a response from one of our Deakin counsellors. The posts are anonymously published, so no one will know it’s from you. Hopefully, you will get some quick advice and it may help determine if counselling will be beneficial for your situation.
How you can get started
The Ask Counselling blog is an online resource that allows you to post a question to our counsellors, and/or read counsellor responses to other student questions. It provides an easily accessible range of advice to support your psychological wellbeing. There’s a few ways you can use the Ask Counselling site, so see what works best for your needs.
- Browse to see if someone has asked a question like yours already. You may appreciate checking out all the questions other students have asked as you may just find one that relates to what you are currently experiencing. You can browse existing student questions in handy A–Z categories from topics relating to stress, anxiety, domestic violence, loneliness, procrastination, and much more.
- Didn’t find an existing answer? If you didn’t get what you were looking for, or you’d like to receive a personalised answer, post your own question on the blog and a CAPS counsellor will respond within 72 business hours with a tailored reply to your issue. Make sure you check the View Recent Posts to locate your question with its response. While there you can also see what’s on your fellow students’ minds.
If you need urgent help, contact an emergency service
Please note Ask Counselling is not a 24-hour crisis service.
- If you’re located in Australia and need immediate emergency help, you should contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or SuicideLine (1300 651 251) straight away. They’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- If you’re a GIFT City student and need immediate emergency help, you can book an appointment with our 24/7 online counselling service or contact the Jeevan Aastha Helpline on 1800 233 3330 (toll free). See more about emergency and crisis information for GIFT City.
See the Counselling webpage for details of other specialised support services available at Deakin or in the community.
Want to talk one-on-one?
Ask Counselling isn’t intended to replace personal counselling, so if you’re located in Australia and want to speak to a professional psychologist or social worker in greater depth, we recommend you book an appointment with a CAPS counsellor for more free, confidential and personalised advice over the phone or via Zoom.
Are you a GIFT City student? See more about booking an appointment with a counsellor here.
More resources
We also have a range of health and wellbeing resources available.
- The DeakinWELLBEING app is free to all students, and is designed to make it easy to find balance and develop healthy habits.
- We also host a range of articles on various health and wellbeing topics online, offering advice on areas relating to personal development, emotional and interpersonal issues, study/work/life balance, grief, sexual health and respectful relationships, culture shock, plus much more.
See the full range of helpful resources on the Health and wellbeing webpage.