Counselling and Wellbeing

Our student counsellors offer free and confidential mental health support for all CQU students. Appointments are available face to face, on the phone and on video call.

Our Counsellors can help with a range of personal and academic issues that include:

• Anxiety and depression concerns
• Domestic and family violence
• Stress management
• Study skills (time management and exam preparation)
• Loneliness, isolation and homesickness
• Grief and loss
• Accommodation and housing
• Coping and resilience skills
• Gender diversity, identity, sexuality and self-expression
• Cultural identity
• Sexual harassment and assault support

Want to speak with a Counsellor?

Call, email or self-refer to our free Counselling team.

• Call: +61 7 4930 9456
• Email: [email protected]
• Self Refer: Student Counselling Referral Form

Available

• Weekdays 8.30 am to 4.30 pm (AEST)

Are you a current student? Visit the student portal MyCQU (login required) to learn more about our Counselling Service.

CQU offers social and emotional wellbeing counselling and services specific for our First Nations students.

Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) Team

Our Therapeutic Caseworkers are here to provide SEWB therapeutic interventions that nurture and reflect the holistic understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, including academic, personal, cultural and spiritual wellbeing of the individual and connect them to relevant external supports in the community.

To contact the Social and Emotional Wellbeing Team, please email [email protected]. 

For mental health support contact Student Counselling on 07 4930 9456 (8:30 am and 4:30 pm AEST), or the CQU Out of Hours Student Support Line on 1300 226 987 or text 0480 097 747 (outside business hours). 

What is Social and Emotional Wellbeing?

Underpinning the social and emotional wellbeing approach is the understanding of relationships between individuals, family, kin, and community, and a focus on connection to land, culture, spirituality, and ancestry.

Social and emotional wellbeing recognises the impact of colonisation and dispossession of culture for First Nations peoples.

If you’re a current student, you can learn more about services, events and opportunities offered by the SEWB Team on MyCQU.

Virtual Cuppa and Yarn

Join our deadly staff and students for a weekly online yarn (via Zoom). No appointments necessary, just good vibes and good company. Details of sessions can be found in MyCQU

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid Training (AMHFA)

Learn how to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults who are developing a mental health problem, experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. Free training for students will be offered throughout the year. For expressions of interest please contact the Wellbeing Team via email to [email protected]

Our Student Wellbeing services provide support through events, programs, workshops, and initiatives to help improve the overall wellbeing of our students as they navigate studying at CQU.

Weekly mindfulness workshop - Calm Time

For current students, our Calm Time Mindfulness sessions provide a refreshing break from studies, reducing stress through mindful practices. These 30-minute sessions, each with a different theme, are held weekly.

Wellbeing workshops and series

• Study Smart: Study Smart is a dynamic, self-directed e-course designed to help students reach their academic, personal, and professional goals.
• Cultivating Wellbeing - Managing Emotions & Distress with DBT Skills Workshop Series: These workshops are a brief introduction to Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills. Skills learnt will help to improve students’ ability to regulate emotions, tolerate distress and negative emotion, be mindful and communicate effectively with others.
• Healthy Relationships Series: A 5-week group for students to improve their relationship and communication skills for healthier relationships.
• Cultivate An Attitude of Gratitude: This one-hour series is designed to give you practical steps to cultivate more gratitude and wellbeing in your life. 

Wellbeing resources

For free wellbeing tip sheets, habit trackers, music mixes and more to support your wellbeing, visit MyCQU for resources. 

Events

Our Student Wellbeing team holds several events in collaboration with campuses for students including University Mental Health Day & R U Ok Day. Check MyCQU for current events and more information.

Our Mindwaves Connectors Program is a peer-to-peer student support program run by our Counselling and Wellbeing Services. It is designed to empower current students to provide Mental Health First Aid to their peers.

Our Student Wellbeing Mindwaves Connectors are all current students trained and accredited in Mental Health First Aid.

Student Wellbeing Mindwaves Connectors are responsible for:

• Providing Mental Health First Aid to students
• Promoting CQUniversity’s Mental Health Strategy (Mindwaves)

Learn more about Student Wellbeing Mindwaves Connectors.

CQU provides free and confidential help for all students living in Australia outside of university hours (including weekends and public holidays).

A qualified crisis responder will answer the call or texts and can help in the following ways:

• find immediate relief from emotional distress
• explore coping strategies for the current crisis
• safely manage any immediate threats to life or safety
• open pathways for longer-term solutions
• focus on specific next steps
• link you back in with CQUniversity services that might be helpful.

Need immediate support?

Call or text our free CQU Out of Hours Student Support line (including weekends and public holidays).

• Call: 1300 226 987
• Text: 0480 097 747

Available:

• Weekdays 4.30 pm to 8.30 am (AEST)
• Weekends and Public Holidays 12:00 am-11:59 pm (AEST)

CQUniversity is committed to providing a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all students and staff. Sexual violence, domestic and family violence, gender-based violence, harassment, racism, discrimination, bullying, and other harmful behaviours are not tolerated.

As part of our commitment to student safety and wellbeing, CQUniversity participates in the National Student Safety Survey (NSSS). This survey gives students an opportunity to share their experiences and perspectives, helping universities strengthen prevention initiatives, improve support services, and drive meaningful action across the sector.

If you have experienced, witnessed, or are concerned about harmful behaviour, support is available through the Safer Communities Unit. 

Safer Communities Unit

Safer Communities Unit is available Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (AEST). The team provides confidential, trauma-informed support to students who experience or witness harmful behaviour and leads the University’s prevention, education and response work.

• eForm: Online Harmful Behaviour Disclosure Tool
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 07 4930 9456 (Press Option 4)

For out of hours student support, phone 1300 226 987 or text 0480 097 747.  

Learn more about Safer Communities Unit and the Harmful Behaviour Disclosure Tool on our Safety and Respect webpage.

CQU is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive atmosphere for all students with a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and discrimination.  As part of this, we have the CQU Ally Program, which aims to promote acceptance and understanding for the LGBTQIA+ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,  queer/questioning, intersex, asexual and/or aromantic and others). The Ally program is for ALL students, whether you identify as LGBTQIA+ or not.

There is an Ally Network on Moodle (your student learning portal - MyCQU) as a connection point for any student who would like to be involved, with resources, links, and forums. It is a place for students to access support and get in contact with an Ally.

This is also the place where students who want to become trained as Allies can do so.

We join many other universities around Australia in having an Ally Program and making CQUniversity a welcoming place for all.

What is an Ally?

An Ally is simply any person who is informed about, is sensitive toward and has an understanding of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and/or Aromantic (LGBTQIA+) people and their issues. An Ally supports the experience and rights of LGBTQIA+ persons and encourages tolerance in a variety of ways, including by individual example and personal awareness. Allies are not identified as being either heterosexual or LGBTQIA+ but are representative of the entire CQUniversity community.

What do Allies do?

An Ally is someone who can guide students to resources and support staff, inform students about CQUniversity policies and procedures, listen to students' concerns, reassure students, and discuss ways of dealing with issues that arise.  It is not counselling, and you are not expected to be an expert in LGBTQIA+ issues.  Students will not be allocated to Allies, but may be referred to the program by staff or academics.  Allies will also pro-actively combat homophobia, either in conversations or by referring the matter to Student Support Centre staff.

Find out more

You can find out more about the Ally Program at CQU via your student portal, MyCQU.