Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS): Balancing Life and Learning

Welcome to Counselling and Psychological Services

Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) aims to help students build strengths, improve well-being and achieve academic success. Our services are free and confidential, and available to all currently enrolled undergraduate and postgraduate students of the University of Sydney.

We assist students build the skills and resilience to manage a variety of issues including: procrastination, perfectionism and other study-related issues; transition issues - adjusting to University life; cultural transition issues - adjusting to living a new culture and country; communication skills; managing stress and anxiety; managing interpersonal relationships; loneliness or isolation; grief and loss; traumatic events; and other mental health concerns.

What does CAPS offer?
As the needs of individual students differ, CAPS offers a range of services. The following information can help you to decide which CAPS service best suits your current needs.

Online Self Help
Skillshops and groups
Individual appointments
Assistance in a crisis
Information for University Staff
CAPS staff list
Contact us

Online Self-Help

Online Self-help tools provide you instant access to a range of self-help resources addressing issues commonly faced by students. If you like to direct your own learning – start here.

Learn To's
The Learn To e-Books provide brief and very practical self-help materials for managing common student issues such as procrastination, getting organised, stress and anxiety, building healthy relationships, maintaining well-being – and many others.

Book Prescription Scheme:
The book prescription scheme provides a number of high quality self-help manuals that have been selected by experienced mental health practitioners.

E-Therapy:
E-Therapy offers a suite of self-guided therapeutic programs covering a wide range of common mental health and well-being concerns. Explore these resources if you want more intensive online self-help.

Skillshops and Groups

Skillshops are engaging, interactive and informative classes (usually two hours long) which teach key skills for well-being. If you want some guided information and don’t necessarily want to attend individual sessions – come along to one of these. The skillshop program is comprehensive and fun - please see our Skillshops page for more information.

CAPS also offers two group programs – Handling Shyness and Mindfulness Training for Feelings of Stress, Anxiety and Depression. These groups provide more detailed skills training and can be terrific for students who either are very keen to learn these skills or who have received some individual sessions and feel ready to further develop their learning in a group setting. Please see our Skillshops page for more information.

Individual Appointments

We offer three types of individual appointments depending on your needs. Read the information below so that you can choose which appointment best suits your needs.

Psychological Advice Clinics

If you’re struggling with a psychological concern and want a quick, practical approach, this could be the best option for you.

(Psychological) Advice Clinics offer brief, one-off appointments, lasting about 25 minutes. The focus of these sessions is on providing you with key information, resources, and linking you in with people and services inside and outside the University who can best help with your concern. You will leave the clinic with a clear plan of helpful, practical actions you can work on straight away to improve your emotional wellbeing.

Detailed Assessment Sessions/ Short-term Individual Counselling

If you’re struggling emotionally and are willing to consider engaging in a more detailed discussion of your difficulties, this could be the best option for you.

These sessions involves a longer consultation (50 minutes) and this type of appointment may lead to the option of further counselling sessions. CAPS counselling is time-limited, offering up to six appointments with a maximum of 10 sessions. CAPS psychological interventions are based on recognised best psychological practice. For further information about counselling sessions, see our FAQs.

Walk-in appointments

These are half hour appointments for emergency issues only. They can not be booked in advance - you need to attend CAPS reception on the day. A very limited number of these types of appointments are available each day.

Changing or cancelling an appointment

You are welcome to phone and change your appointment(s). However, due to the high demand for appointments - especially during peak periods of semester - we ask that you give a day's notice if you want to change or cancel your session. If you fail to attend an appointment without notice it will count towards the maximum number of sessions that we are able to offer you each year.

Assistance in a Crisis or after hours

During Working Hours
If you are in crisis and require an immediate and urgent response, please contact us during office hours by phone (02) 8627 8433 or 8627 8437, Cumberland (02) 9351 9638 (Mon and Tues).

After Hours
For 24-hour and after hours assistance contact:
- Lifeline on 131 114
- Mental Health Line 1800 011 511
- Medical, Fire, Police Emergency 000 or get yourself to the nearest hospital emergency department.
- Camperdown Community Mental Health Team: 9515 9000
- University Security Service: 9351 3487

For information about coping with suicidal thoughts please see our e-book on Suicidal Thinking.

Information for University Staff

If you are a staff member seeking counselling for yourself, please contact the University's Employee Assistance Program on 1300 361 008. For further information on the counselling services for staff please go to the University's Human Resources website. If you are seeking information about how to help a student, please see our For Staff page.

CAPS Staff List

Contact Us

Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) are located at the Camperdown Campus and the Cumberland Campus.

Camperdown Campus

Click image to view map

You can find us on Level 5 of the Jane Foss Russell Building G02, City Road (beside the Wentworth Building), Camperdown Campus. We are open 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday.
Telephone: (02) 8627 8433 or 8627 8437
Facsimile: (02) 8627 8482
E-mail:

Please see map for our location. Jane Foss Russell located at L7 on map.

Cumberland Campus

Click image to view map

You can find the Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) on the Ground Floor in Block A. The service is available 9am - 5pm Mondays and Tuesdays.
Telephone: (02) 9351 9638
Facsimile: (02) 9351 9635
E-mail:

Please see map for location of block A.

Sydney College of the Arts Campus

Appointments for semester 2, 2011 will be at the Camperdown Campus for the time being, and need to be booked by phone (8627 8433 or 8627 8437).

Sydney Conservatorium of Music Campus

Appointments need to be booked by phone (8627 8433 or 8627 8437).

Email
Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) discourages the use of email communication between counsellors and clients. Confidentiality or security of email communication cannot be guaranteed, as email is not a secure medium. The Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) are also unable to guarantee the ability to respond to any email quickly.