University Counselling Services

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 (protecting life — yours or another's), compliance of the law, consent given by you, or when you are referred by the University for an assessment.

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

For any general inquiries, email us at ucs@nus.edu.sg

If you are ready to make an appointment, kindly click on the ‘Appointment Request’ button above.

A — Kent Ridge Campus

20 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Level 2, Singapore 119060

Closed on NUS Holidays, Sat, Sun and PH

Walk-in visits are short 20-minute risk assessment sessions, not counselling appointments. They are meant for those who need urgent emotional support. During this session, our mental health professional will assess your situation and direct you to the appropriate resources.

B — University Counselling Services @ UTown

For students residing in NUS hostels. By Appointment Only. No Walk-Ins are available.

On-Campus Hotlines

Immediate assistance during life-threatening psychological emergencies.

You may also contact Lifeline NUS (6516 7777) for 24-hour 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.

Community Helplines

For immediate practical and emergency support outside of campus:

Walk-In

Walk-in visits are not counselling appointments — they are short 20-minute risk assessment sessions for students who need urgent emotional support. During this session, our mental health professional will assess your situation and direct you to the appropriate resources.

Lifeline NUS

Please contact Lifeline NUS at 6516 7777 for urgent emotional support. This number is not for appointment booking or general enquiries — for booking and enquiries, email us at ucs@nus.edu.sg.

Group therapy sessions are led by 1-2 facilitators (University Counselling Services clinicians), on a weekly or fortnightly basis for a fixed number of sessions during the semester. Sessions are conducted in English. Each group typically has between 8-12 members. There will be a mix of structured activities and opportunities for open sharing. You can expect a casual and interactive environment for exploration and discussion, rather than a classroom-style learning.

Whether group therapy is a good fit depends on your specific needs and challenges, as well as the goals you hope to achieve at this time. Many students who may feel shy or struggle interpersonally can derive immense benefits from working through these issues in a group format. However, if you are currently going through a personal crisis, traumatic situation, or acute mental health struggle, individual counselling may be more suitable to address your concerns on a deeper level.

It is normal for many students to feel nervous about starting group therapy. Our group facilitators are trained to ease participants into the process gradually, and you are free to share at your own pace and comfort level. It is our experience that most participants will start to feel more comfortable in the group and interact more openly as the sessions progress. Alternatively, you can consider whether individual counselling may be a better fit for your needs at this time.

Commitment to attending sessions is an important part of the group process, in order to build trust and cohesion between participants. Unlike a class, you may not be able to catch up on the activities and sharing retrospectively. However, we understand that unexpected life events do happen. Should you be unable to attend a session, do inform your group facilitators in advance. If you miss multiple sessions, your facilitators may review whether it would be beneficial for you to continue participating in the group.

In the NUS environment, it is possible that you may have existing personal relationships with other participants (e.g. same hostel, same lab). For confidentiality reasons, we do not reveal the identities of other group members prior to the start of the sessions. If you encounter issues in the first session, please discuss it privately with your group facilitators as soon as possible. Unless it is a couples’ group, we generally discourage partners from signing up for the same group, as it may impact the group dynamics.

Due to the commitment required, it is recommended that you do not sign up for more than 1 group per semester. You are not precluded from joining another group in a subsequent semester, however you will need to go through the same sign-up and screening process as other participants.

Yes, you may. In some cases, individual and group interventions can go well together and enhance your overall progress. We recommend that you discuss with the group facilitators and/or your individual counsellor to determine the best option for you.

All groups are held in-person unless otherwise noted. The specific location will be shared once your participation in the group is confirmed.