Our services are offered conveniently in a "hybrid or hyflex" approach - that means face to face or online services, according to the needs of our students. Please see our "Homepage" and the "Contact us" tab for details.
You can register for any service by sending an enquiry to [email protected]
Our philosophy is to ensure that we tailor services to meet the needs of our student populace. We therefore offer shorter-term individual counselling sessions, as well as programmes and workshop-based approaches. Walk-in services are only allowed with a direct referral letter from the Student Health Services, or an FSA or in a crisis via Security Services. We follow evidence-based practices and strive to reach specific outcomes in therapy. Our services are free to registered students and available on all campuses.
If you would like to read about various mental health topics or listen to a podcast tailor made for our students, please visit the mental health resources and self-help material for students tab on this site. It is important that you inform yourself on how to manage various situations related to Student Life. We would like our students to be resilient, problem-solving and pro-active. Our mental health chatbot SCU-B can be found on your student portal. SCU-B can answer some mental health questions related to depression, anxiety, life-style management, substance abuse and gender-based violence/consent.
You can now book for a brief consultation with one of our inhouse registered counsellors who will be to assist with brief mental health interventions. Please mention that you prefer this service in your email service request. The Registered Counsellors have a shorter turn-around time and you will be able to receive a consultation sooner. These sessions can be in person on Hatfield campus, or online if you are on another campus.
You are also welcome to have a supportive telephonic conversation with a UP careline counsellor, any time, day or night. By phoning 0800 747 747, or sending an SMS to 31393, you can enjoy the support and advice of a counsellor standing by to assist you immediately. This service is available through our mental health partners at SADAG.
Students may seek assistance in the form of formal therapy with a psychologist for many different problem areas.
Our approach at SCU includes short term psychotherapy, with specific goals in mind. We strive to help you to address your difficulties and enhance your skills to manage life's difficulties.
Students could be referred to mental health programmes or a peer support group for further support and assistance once individual sessions/screenings is concluded.
In the event where long-term interventions or specialised treatments such as a Psychiatric or other specialist medical referrals, we will recommend a referral to other service providers.
Please do not hesitate to send an email to [email protected] to request formal therapy in the form of personal face to face or online consultations. Requests for services via email are attended to on a daily basis, but it may take some time for us to book you into formal therapy. If you need immediate assistance, you should call 0800 747 747. The counsellor can support you until your therapy with the psychologist can commence.
If you wish to have a career assessment or a consultation, please send an email to [email protected]. We can assist you to explore career options in the event that you want to change you direction of study.
If you wish to remain in your faculty however, and you have questions about which modules to take, whether you may deregister a module(s), or which post-graduate course to follow, you should direct these enquiries at your Faculty Student Advisor and your Faculty Administrator. The SCU does not assist with Faculty-specific enquiries and cannot advise you on registration requirements for degree-purposes.
1. With regards to career guidance - if you are looking for guidance in terms of career in your current course (i.e. career paths, who will employ you, opportunities, working environments etc.) you once again need to speak to your FSA.
2. If you are looking to change your course (i.e. wanting to pursue a completely new direction/possible career) and you are unsure which options would be suitable we can assist with a career assessment test and based on personality, aptitude and interest we can make recommendations of courses/faculties to explore. However, this is a broader indication of a type of career field that might suit you, and will not guide you in terms of paragraph 1 above.
3. Please note career assessment will only be scheduled early 2023 as we have reached our capacity for 2022. We can provide a once off counselling session at this stage – if interested, please let us know so that your request can be attended to. If after the counselling session you feel that you still need an assessment, please send an email to [email protected] in 2023 and we can proceed to schedule you in.
4. Please note you have to be registered for 2022 to access this service. Students on appeal would have to wait for the final outcome before this service can be accessed.
We assist students in a wide variety of ways to maximize their academic success while studying at the University of Pretoria. We would like to encourage students to contact their Faculty Student Advisors for specific academic and study-related assistance or course related enquiries.
We also assist the Disability Unit with assessments relating to reasonable concessions for students with a disability to ensure a fair and equal learning environment. If you qualify do to a learning or psychological difficulty, it is important that you register long before writing exams or tests. Your faculty will have to approve the application in time, if you qualify.
These disabilities may include psycho-social, psychiatric or learning difficulties.
Students will have to submit recent and relevant documentation, which may include specialist reports.
All concession requirements must firstly be processed and registered at the Disability Unit before being referred to the Student Counselling Unit for assistance.
Contact details for the Disability Unit can be found on their webpage at https://www.up.ac.za/disability-unit.
Please note: For specific questions about modules, credits, study skills development, planning your study timetable, academic stress, managing your studies, or receiving other course specific academic help, please contact your Faculty Student Advisor (FSA).
Emergency assistance during office hours 07:30-15:30.
The Student Counselling Unit offers assistance in times of psychological distress.
This implies trauma such as rape, assault, muggings, domestic abuse and physical abuse. If you are experiencing an emergency of this nature, please alert the receptionist immediately and she will mobilize the relevant staff member to attend to you.
Protocols are in place to help you with the emotional consequences of such an event, but also with the medical and security issues that a trauma such as this implies. It is best that you come together with a trusted friend, family member, House or Faculty Committee member if possible.
This will help us to mobilize all the available resources on your behalf if you are unable to do so for yourself. In the case of physical trauma, you can also make your first port of call the Student Health Services (next to the Thuto Building) for you to be stabilized physically.
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