All NSCAD campuses closed at noon, February 24, 2024 due to freezing rain. All campuses will reopen at 9 a.m. on February 25.

Mental Health and Wellness

Mental Health Supports

Mental Health Supports

  • Mental health counselling
  • Stay Connected Peer Mentors
  • Good2Talk
  • Mental Health Mobile Crisis
  • Additional resources

Mental Health Counselling

Our counsellors provide short-term, one-on-one confidential counselling sessions for a variety of presenting concerns including, but not limited to, school stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and relationship difficulties. The counsellors can also help connect you with additional supports as necessary.

Schedule a counselling appointment with a counsellor online or in-person at Fountain Campus 

 

If you have any questions about mental health supports or booking appointments, please contact the counselling office at counsellor@nscad.ca.

If a student would benefit from more long-term or in-depth support, the counsellors can help connect them with someone in the community that can provide this service. Students can also choose to self-refer to a mental health practitioner in the community. Please note domestic students on the NSCAD student health plan have coverage for registered counselling therapists, social workers, and psychologists and NSCAD international students have coverage for psychologists and social workers.

 

Stay Connected Peer Mentors

NSCAD’s Peer Support Program offers one-on-one peer support between students and trained peer mentors. Peer support is an effective strategy for those living with mental illness who are trying to maintain their mental health in a stressful academic environment. The peer mentors have lived experience with mental illness and are current NSCAD students, putting them in an ideal place to serve as positive examples for students coping with mental health problems or having difficulty adjusting to life at NSCAD. As the peer support hours change each semester, please check the NSCAD Student Experience Instagram page, contact them via email at peermentors@nscad.ca, or look for posters around campus for the most up-to-date information.

For more information or to be connected with one of our peer mentors, contact peermentors@nscad.ca

NSCAD’s Peer Support Program is supported financially by the Stay Connected Mental Health Project, a cooperative effort of the Nova Scotia Health Authority and local universities, funded by Fred and Elizabeth Fountain.

Peer Mentor Coping Strategy Workshops

The peer mentors periodically offer Coping Strategy Workshops. Watch your email or the peer mentor Instagram account for announcements. You can also access the pdf version of these workshops here:
Deep Breathing and Grounding Technique
• Setting SMART Goals Part 1 and Part 2
Visualization and Mental Rehearsal
Positive Self-Talk 

Using the Mental Health Continuum tool 
Self-care 

Good2Talk

If you would like to speak to someone outside of NSCAD immediately, Good2Talk is a free, confidential helpline for post-secondary students, available 24/7/365. By calling 1-833-292-3698, you’ll be connected with a professional counsellor who can provide support for a range of topics, including school-related stress and anxiety, relationship, work or financial challenges, concerns about substance use, panic or crisis and thoughts of suicide. Dial 1-833-292-3698 or text “Good2TalkNS” to 686868 for support.

Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team

  • Phone (available 24 hours a day): 902-429-8167
  • Toll-free: 1-888-429-8167

The Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team provides crisis support for children, youth, and adults experiencing a mental health crisis. Telephone crisis line is available 24/7 to anyone in Nova Scotia. Mobile response is available 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. to most communities in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Mobile visits include a Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team police officer and a mental health clinician.

Additional Resources

  • Mental Health Collective
    Please check out the peer mentor social media pages or look for the peer mentor posters around campus for details about Mental Health Tea Hours. These events provide a stigma-free space to discuss mental health with peers, without the fear of being judged. All are welcome. Email peermentors@nscad.ca to register.
  • Therapy Assistance Online
    TAO consists of self-directed modules for a variety of mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, body acceptance, and sleep problems. This is also where our counsellor conducts virtual sessions. Visit the following link for more: ca.TAOconnect.org

Come spend some time with St. John’s Ambulance therapy dog team, Sally and Roo!

  • I.M.Well
    Short for Integrated Mental Health & Wellness, I.M. Well connects International students to certified counsellors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle while in University. I.M. Well is free and is available 24/7 in over 100 languages.

    The I.M. Well Mobile App connects you to campus and community resources and live Counselling for personal, academic, and social needs such as:
    • Stress
    • Depression
    • Legal Issues
    • Life Coaching
    • Relationships
    • Financial
    • Addiction
    • Nutrition
    • Health Translation
    • and more.

    Students can download the free I.M. Well app today to access:
    • Private live chat 24/7
    • Track your mood and feelings
    • Find campus and community resources
    • Crisis help
    • Wellness events and more.

    Request counselling here or by phone at 1-877-554-6935

  • Wellness Together Canada
    Free mental health resource for people living in Canada and Canadians living abroad. The follow services are available at no cost, in both English and French:
    • Immediate text support
    • Information and videos on common mental health and substance use issues
    • Wellness programs you can do on your own or with coaching
    • Community and peer support for mental health and substance use
    • Individual phone, video, and text counselling
  • Transition Guide
    “Transitions is the first evidence-based publication of its kind. It’s designed to help you be successful on campus, focusing on time management, relationships, identity, finances, sexual activity, mental illness, suicide, addictions, and more. It also includes tips and strategies for helping yourself through challenging times and recommendations of where you can go to get additional help, if you need it.”