Counselling Services | Accessible Learning Services and Counselling Services | Seneca Students

Welcome to Counselling Services!

Here’s what you need to know about us:

Free – All services offered by Counselling Services (CS) are free to full time students enrolled at Seneca Polytechnic. 

Voluntary – Students must consent to access our services, no one can make an appointment on behalf of a student and no one can force a student to attend a session with one of our staff.

Confidential – Our services are confidential, which means that the information that is shared with us will not be disclosed with anyone else unless we have clear permission to do so.  There are exceptions to this which are explained in the “Counselling Services Privacy Notice.”

Counselling Services offers a range of supports available to students at Seneca Polytechnic.  When students face challenges that interfere with their ability to engage fully in their academic program, Counselling Services is there to offer assistance and support during their academic journey at Seneca Polytechnic.

Counselling Services offers:

One at a Time Counselling

One at a Time (OAAT) sessions focus on working with students to resolve a current issue during the course of a single session. This one session is often enough to help with immediate issues, however students have the option to book a future session if necessary.

OAAT sessions are booked on an as-needed basis.  The student is required to email, call or come in-person to schedule an appointment with a personal counsellor (wait time is usually within a week). This is a great option for a student who isn’t sure if they need to engage in, or commit to, ongoing counselling but wants to meet with a counsellor to talk about a pressing issue.

Brief Counselling Support

This service is available for students who are seeking support with an ongoing issue (i.e. mental health concerns, adjustment issues, gender identity, relationship challenges, sexuality, etc.) and would benefit from a series of sessions with the same counsellor.

Brief counselling support begins with a first appointment to gather a brief history, identify goals, and mutually agree on a treatment plan.  Follow-up sessions will then follow that plan, assess with the student how well the plan is working, and make adjustments as needed.

If it is determined that longer term support is required, the counsellor will work with the student to identify appropriate resources in the community to meet the identified need.

Student Support and Intervention Specialist (SSIS) Service

This is a service is available for students who may not need counselling but require help in sorting through a difficult situation. SSIS staff provide support to students with personal concerns or those who may be in distress or facing a critical incident in their lives. 

The SSIS works collaboratively with students to develop a plan of action to address problem areas or causes of concern such as short term situational challenges; students who may require higher levels of support i.e. housing and finance; recent discharge from hospital; interpersonal difficulties that are impacting communications among students, staff and faculty; students who are facing challenges identifying or connecting with College or Community resources.

These services can be accessed in a timely manner through the CS office.

SSIS Drop-In Times:

Seneca@York

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

10:30 am to 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

Newnham

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

10:00 am to 12:00 pm

King

Tuesdays and Thursdays

10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Groups and Other Activities

CS offers a range of groups, workshops, activities and presentations on a variety of topics. Some of the initiatives relate to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression while others offer excellent information on self-care, managing relationships, and coping with stress. Many students find it helpful to meet in a group setting to learn more about a topic that they are interested in along with their peers. The schedule is updated regularly on the CS website and will be available in the CS offices.

For more information and to access services, drop into the Personal Counselling Services office at one of the campuses or contact us using the list below.

If you want to meet with one of our CS staff, the Office Assistant will ask for your Seneca student number and a little bit about your reason for contacting us.

Students in need of Counselling Services support can email, call, or visit us at:   

Email: senecacnas@senecacollege.ca  

Phone: 416.764.9700

Fax: 647.475.1465 

Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm

Newnham Campus and Peterborough Campus

Room E2427 - Newnham Campus Map 

King  Campus

Room GH2118 - King Campus Map 

Markham Campus

Room M280 - Markham Campus Map 

Seneca@York Campus and Yorkgate Campus

Room S1175 - Seneca@York Campus Map