Here for Your Health: What Incoming Students Should Know about the Student Wellness Centre

We want to make sure that as a first-year student, you know how to get physical, emotional, and mental health support when you need it, so you can thrive at Laurier. Here are the ten things we think all incoming students should to know about the Student Wellness Centre.

The Student Wellness Centre is the home of medical, emotional, and mental health services and supports for students on campus

The Student Wellness Centre is a collaborative service that supports your physical, emotional, and mental health needs using a circle of care model. Our multi-disciplinary team includes doctors, nurses, counsellor/psychotherapists, a registered dietitian, registered massage therapists, chiropractors, and physiotherapists.

We are here for you when you need routine health care and immunizations, when you are sick, for prescription renewals, and to support your sexual health. Our team of counsellor/psychotherapists and our mental health nurse offer emotional and mental health services when you need to talk and when you need urgent support.

It's easy to book an appointment

To make an appointment for most of our services, we recommend you drop by or call us. For sudden or urgent medical or emotional concerns, we want to talk to you to make sure we can give you the support you need as promptly as you need it.

We also offer online booking for routine, non-urgent medical concerns on the Waterloo and Brantford campuses and for chiropractor, physiotherapy, and registered massage therapy appointments in Waterloo. Read this article for more information about when to use the online booking tool.

All registered students can use our services

Every student can use the services in the SWC, even if you opted out of your student health and dental plan.

The SWC is multi-campus

The SWC offer supports to students on all campuses, but most of the time, you should only access services on your home campus. This is to ensure you receive the best and most consistent care.

We are open all year

The SWC is open from Monday to Friday, including fall and winter reading weeks, during exams, and over the summer. Our current hours are always posted here. We also post all special hours and closures for the term here.

Don't forget that the Student Wellness Centre is closed when the university is closed, including for bad weather and snow days.

We welcome students of diverse backgrounds and identities

The Student Wellness Centre recognizes and supports the richness of human diversity and reflects the values of cultural, ethnic, gender, and sexual orientation differences. We continually strive to approach our work from anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspectives to ensure you to feel valued, safe, and welcome every time you interact with us. Visit this page for more information about 2SLGBTQ+ Care in the Student Wellness Centre, and drop by or give us a call to find out more about how to see a BIPOC or indigenous counsellor/psychotherapist on campus.

Our Services are confidential

All of the staff and clinicians in the Student Wellness Centre are governed by provincial privacy legislation, and we will never talk about you with anyone without your permission. That means that we will not discuss you and we won't even acknowledge if you've had an appointment with any third party, including concerned friends, Laurier faculty or staff outside the SWC, and including your parents, even if you are under 18.

Visit our full privacy and confidentiality statement for more information. Please note that under the regulatory requirements of some clinicians (e.g. counsellor/psychotherapists), there are rare circumstances where privacy is limited to help ensure your safety. Ask your provider about this when you come for a visit.

We do not charge for most of our services, and we never charge for counselling

Most of the services we offer in the Student Wellness Centre are funded by student fees that you can't opt out of. That means that we don’t charge fees when you visit us for counselling or medical care. Appointments with the doctor are paid for by your provincial health insurance card (your green OHIP card, if you are from Ontario), or with your UHIP or GuardMe insurance for most international students.
If you will be charged for a service, we will tell you ahead of time and make sure you understand how and why.

When it comes to therapy, we know fit is important

The counsellor/psychotherapists in the SWC are generalists, and they are all experienced in many therapeutic modalities. Our counsellors are all equipped to deliver excellent service within our short-term, goal-directed model of care. We offer a variety of options, including counsellors who serve black and racialized students and indigenous students and have also partnered with some faculties to offer appointments in locations across campus. Appointments can be made for sessions in-person, by phone, or virtually.

We know that your relationship with your therapist is important, and we want to make sure you have the best possible experience in counselling. If the first person we booked you with wasn't the right fit, let us know. We would be happy to book you with someone else or explore other resources that might better meet your needs.

If you have feedback about our services, we want to hear it

The staff in the Student Wellness Centre are committed to delivering excellent, student-focused services to students at Laurier. We want to know how you think we can do better. If you have compliments or concerns about your experience with us, or if you have comments or suggestions, please use the Student Wellness Centre Feedback Form to let us know what you think.