University Counselling Services

Counselling provides a safe and private space to talk with someone about your goals and concerns.

Meeting with a counsellor may help you clarify your goals and explore options to achieve them. As skilled listeners, counsellors provide clients an objective perspective when dealing with a concern.

At University Counselling Services (UCS), our services and programmes are designed to not only assist you as a student in addressing your immediate concerns but to also acquire skills for individual growth.

Counselling services and programmes are provided free for all full time NUS students.

Counselling provides an opportunity for you to connect with a mental health professional who is trained to help you with your concerns.

Counsellors typically refrain from giving advice and listen carefully in order to better understand your thoughts, feelings and behaviours and to explore possibilities. Counselling is a process and its benefits occur over time. It is important for you to stay with the process, and to practise skills during and outside of sessions in order for change and growth to occur.

Counsellors at UCS abide by a strict confidentiality policy allowing you a safe space to share openly. Exceptions to this practice occurs in cases of imminent threat to life, a court order, a written consent given by you, or when you are mandated by the University for an assessment.

Counselling services and programmes are provided free for all full time NUS students.

The first session is an assessment which helps the counsellor understand your needs and challenges and together with you explore goals to facilitate growth.

The plan may include short-term counselling at UCS. Our professionally trained counsellors can assist you on a range of issues, such as relationships, academic, low self-esteem, grief and bereavement. You may also consider counselling as an option if you are having low moods, feeling anxious, or struggling with addictive behaviours or eating concerns. You may be referred to the University Health Service for medical consultations, and/or to other longer-term and specialised services off-campus.

If you have been on medical leave of absence for one semester (term) or more for mental health related matters, you will be required to be certified fit to resume studies by a counsellor at the University Counselling Services before resumption of classes or considerations to live on campus are made.

Home Page:
http://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/index.html

Leave of Absence (LOA):
http://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/administrative-policies/leave-of-absence.html

Special Considerations (SC):
https://myportal.nus.edu.sg/studentportal/academics/all/docs/Special-Consideration-Form.pdf

You may phone or email for an appointment with UCS

Phone:       +65 6516 2376

Email:         UCS@NUS.EDU.SG

(A) KENT RIDGE CAMPUS (All Faculties and Schools)
20 Lower Kent Ridge Road
Level 2, Singapore 119060

Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 8.30am - 6.00pm
Friday: 8.30am - 5.30pm
We are closed on Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays.

Last walk-in appointments are available 30 minutes before closing.

(B) BUKIT TIMAH CAMPUS
(Applicable only for students of Faculty of Law and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy only)
By Appointment Only. No Walk-Ins are available .

Opening Hours (Undergraduate semester weeks only):
Every Wednesday: 8.30am - 6.00pm

The following on-campus hotline numbers are available for immediate assistance during life-threatening psychological emergencies.

Campus Security Hotline:

Kent Ridge Campus +65 6874 1616
Bukit Timah Campus +65 6516 3636
Outram Campus +65 6222 5568

You may also contact Lifeline NUS (6516 7777) for 24 hours psychological support. This is available for students and staff.

When the student is:

  • Having suicidal intentions
  • Experiencing severe panic or anxiety attacks
  • Dealing with news of death or severe injury to family or peers
  • Traumatised or disoriented from recent physical violence

When in doubt, connect with us at +65 6516 2376 to clarify with our staff.

For immediate practical and emergency support outside of campus, the following are some community help lines which provide immediate assistance:

Police 999
Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)
(Ambulance and Fire Brigade)
995
Samaritans of Singapore 1 800 221 4444