Hello!

So i saw a post on here a while back which was a link to the psychological and counselling help that students have available for them. The thing is going through the list i felt like i fit into everything so i was wondering how should i decide? is there a test i can go through to see which program would suit me best? like you know a psychological analysis.

Also, does mac provide only counselling or is there also a therapist and is it a free service or does it cost?

Thanks.

Contact the Student Wellness Centre. No pressure, they'll just be able to provide you will all of the accurate details of what you are looking for. Best of luck!

Originally Posted by HiddenTruth

Hello!

So i saw a post on here a while back which was a link to the psychological and counselling help that students have available for them. The thing is going through the list i felt like i fit into everything so i was wondering how should i decide? is there a test i can go through to see which program would suit me best? like you know a psychological analysis.

Also, does mac provide only counselling or is there also a therapist and is it a free service or does it cost?

Thanks.

What's the difference between a therapist and a counselor? They both provide "counseling", and there are many different types of therapy/counseling that they can provide.

If you're referring to a psychiatrist, then yes, the SWC has one full-time one and one part-time one. It's free, but there is a long wait (although much shorter than if you want a "free" one outside of the university), and your normal doctor that you see at SWC needs to refer you.

No not a psychiatrist...medici nes are the worst things to use to help mental health. Psychologist/counselor is what i need....

Originally Posted by HiddenTruth

No not a psychiatrist...medici nes are the worst things to use to help mental health. Psychologist/counselor is what i need....

Just because psychiatrists *can* prescribe medication, that doesn't mean that's the only thing they can/will do. If you want a "psychological analysis", you're much better off with a psychiatrist than a counselor.

I'm not sure if McMaster has psychologists, though I'd be kind of surprised if they don't.

You don't need a referral to see a counselor, just call SWC and ask to make an appointment.

Originally Posted by HiddenTruth

No not a psychiatrist...medicines are the worst things to use to help mental health. Psychologist/counselor is what i need....

It really depend on the circumstance, condition and the person. Don't blanket this dangerous statement to everything regarding mental health. We already have enough stigma regarding mental health, don't contribute to it.

Originally Posted by HiddenTruth

No not a psychiatrist...medici nes are the worst things to use to help mental health. Psychologist/counselor is what i need....

That is false.

Your best bet is to schedule an appointment with a counselor at the Student Wellness Centre, and when you meet with this person, you can get a better understanding where you'd be suited.

Originally Posted by HiddenTruth

No not a psychiatrist...medici nes are the worst things to use to help mental health. Psychologist/counselor is what i need....

As someone who works in community mental health I'm quite insulted by that blanket statement. Medications can be quite helpful in helping people stay well. I've seen people come into my service unmedicated and improve once we get medications into their system.

That being said, we can't just treat someone with medications and let them be on their way. Counseling with a rehabilitative lens is just as a important to help people identify goals and bring change into their own lives.

tl;dr, integrative approach ftw.

Medications are overused and over-prescribed in a modern society in which pharmaceutical companies are run by drug lords who buy billions of dollars worth of television advertisements in an attempt to convince the community to turn themselves into walking collections of side effects.
That said, there are people who need the meds. I have a schizophrenic aunt and an epileptic friend. Without meds, they would be in pretty bad shape.

Both Psychiatrists and Clinical Psychologists can provide a diagnosis. They're both well versed and educated in their approach. It's important to know what type of professional you're seeing, let me place some further emphasis on this. For example, counselling psychologists don't deal with severe mental illness, however, psychiatrists and clinical psychologists do. The media and public in general stigmatized mental health to the point where they even stigmatized the professions that deal with people facing mental health problems. Psychiatry plays an integral role in medicine when evaluating psychological health, they can rule out any potential medical conditions causing an issue, order some diagnostic tests, prescribe psycho-pharmacological medications, etc.

Sorry! didnt mean to offend anyone just phrased it in a wrong way, what i meant was that it isnt the first step to take IN MY CASE, because im sure i dont need meds. Like Zebedee said they're just overused in most situations now-a-days, instead of people looking into more natural ways of treatments. But of course some people do need meds to progress in life.

Also...i just feel so unmotivated to even go in now as its gotten to a point where i dont even know what im doing or what exactly i would say to them.

Originally Posted by HiddenTruth

Sorry! didnt mean to offend anyone just phrased it in a wrong way, what i meant was that it isnt the first step to take IN MY CASE, because im sure i dont need meds. Like Zebedee said they're just overused in most situations now-a-days, instead of people looking into more natural ways of treatments. But of course some people do need meds to progress in life.

Also...i just feel so unmotivated to even go in now as its gotten to a point where i dont even know what im doing or what exactly i would say to them.

Just go in and tell them what you wrote here...explain what the problem is. They can talk to you about your options, and you can go from there.

It's fine if you don't want medications and want to try other things first, but there may come a point where they become a reasonable option. For anxiety, they also have medications that are pretty low-dose that you can take "as needed", so you're not even on a medication regularly.

I think it's good to be aware of and consider all options, not just discounting them "because it's medication", and continually reevaluating what the best options are for you as your situation changes. For some people this means starting medications and then stopping them when they're no longer necessary, for others this may mean adding in a different type of therapy, or any other number of options.

Anyways, it's the counselor's job to "probe" and help elicit the problem from you, even if you're not sure exactly what to say. Also, the counselors at Mac each have different "styles", and you might not like the first one you try. If you don't, then just ask to make an appointment with someone else, that's totally fine.

Go to the SWC, they have a psychologist you can talk to. My friend found is very helpful.

and WHY does every thread get side tracked here...

Im thinking of just calling in and talking about it as i feel like it would be easier to explain everything without feeling nervous or shy