Explore services and resources to support you with your mental wellness
Mental wellness is a holistic approach to taking care of one's mental health and physical health through purposeful actions and engagement in wellness activities that enhances how you feel day to day and year to year. Subsequently, this enables you to live life more fully through functioning better. Griffith has a wide array of supports for helping you make a start on your journey towards better health and mental health.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and committed to tackling global challenges around good health.
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About Counselling at Griffith
The goal of counselling
Counselling can provide helpful tools, strategies and perspectives on personal issues that can improve your relationships, study engagement and work life. Counselling can help you feel better and find solutions to problems. It can make lasting changes in your life. It can guide you in making a plan to feel better, engage more fully in life and create mental wellness. Counselling can assist with any aspirations or intentions you have in improving your strengths, skills, habits and how you live your life. Students from all backgrounds and degrees come to counselling.
What to expect in your first appointment
When you arrive you will be warmly welcomed by staff who will check you in and let your counsellor know that you have arrived. They will ask you to complete a brief questionnaire and a consent form. The completion of the questionnaire is voluntary. In your first session, which usually lasts about 50 minutes, your counsellor will be curious and interested in what difficulties you have been having and why you are coming to counselling. From there, your counselling will be unique, based on your life experiences and current situation. During your interactions with the counsellor, a variety of thoughts, feelings and emotions may arise. Counselling is a partnership between you and a counsellor, a creative process where you work together to improve your wellbeing and life.
Who can access counselling services
Students in Australia
- All students must have an ID and s-number in Peoplesoft (Griffith, QIBT) and be:
- - currently enrolled,
- or
- - in receipt of an offer for the next semester,
- or
- - on approved LOA,
- or
- - on approved deferment.
Graduates
- Counselling and Wellbeing and Chaplaincy
- - the person has been graduated less than 3 months,
- or
- - the person has been a previous client of our services and graduated less than 6 months.
- Health and Medical Services
- - the person has ongoing care requirements and has yet to be transitioned to external services (by agreement with treating practitioner).
Taking the next step
If you feel you are ready to take the next step and access counselling services, you can find links to options available at Griffith in the 'Making an Appointment' section below.
View in-person counselling options See other counselling options
OUA students
If you’re an OUA student and struggling with something personal or worried about anything, you need to access free appointments with professionally-qualified counsellors through OUA. To request an appointment email: counselling@open.edu.au However, you can still access an array of handy self-help resources provided by Griffith Counselling and Wellbeing.
Counselling options
Counselling and wellbeing
Counsellors at Griffith provide helpful tools, strategies and perspectives on personal issues related to relationships, study, or work life. Counselling can help you feel better, find solutions to problems and make lasting changes in your life. This is a free service.
Personal violence counselling
Griffith's dedicated Personal Violence Counsellors provide free, specialised counselling, information and support to students for domestic violence, sexual assault, rape, sexual harassment, childhood sexual abuse and other forms of personal violence or intimidation.
Mental health nurse
The Mental Health Nurse works with students to identify what their mental health concerns are and helps them to reduce the impact these issues may be having on their study. All consultations are confidential and free.
LGBTIQ+ counselling
There are a wide range of challenges and additional stressors that people from the LGBTIQ+ Communities can experience. The counsellors at the Griffith Counselling and Wellbeing service provide a service which is free of judgement and encourages a safe, confidential and supportive environment.
Video counselling
Video appointments have the same principles as in-person appointments. You and your counsellor meet at an agreed time to discuss your difficulties and together you find ways that you can feel better, think more clearly, study better and make other choices in life to help you live better.
Group programs
Groups provide specific strategies to assist you in managing mental health difficulties. Groups focus on specific topics such as anxiety, depression, wellbeing and stress. It is a safe, confidential and fun group setting to explore and discuss various topics. Topics vary throughout the year.
Chaplaincy
If you're unsure speaking to a counsellor is the right decision for you, or your concerns are not necessarily related to mental health and you'd just like to chat with somebody, Chaplains are equipped to support you and your journey in life.
During a Chaplaincy appointment you can expect to have your feelings accepted and acknowledged. Chaplains are happy for you to express any concerns you might have, and talk about anything you want to talk about. They are trained to listen to what you have to say, and are able to either help you out themselves, or know where to send you to get things sorted. Your concerns do not have to be about religion or spirituality, and a Chaplain will not discuss these topics unless you wish to discuss them.
Education and self help
Mental Health First Aid
The Mental Health First Aid and Mental Health First Aid For The Suicidal Person workshops are held periodically throughout the year by trained clinicians to help you learn how to help others in a mental health crisis.
Supporting someone who is suicidal
Learn how to respond to someone who has shared they've had thoughts of suicide or self harm and access resources to help you support others affected by suicide.
Counselling and Wellbeing Helpful Resources
Browse a variety of helpful online resources for mental health and wellbeing, including video and audio clips, tip sheets, booklets and more.
Self Assessment Tools
Take a free, confidential online self assessment test that can help you better understand your moods and behaviours and recommend solutions for managing them. No login or personal details required.
Counselling and Wellbeing video resources
Griffith Counselling and Wellbeing have curated a library of helpful videos that cover a variety of wellbeing-related topics. Take a moment out of your day to practice mindfulness, relaxation, and more with Meaningful Minute, learn wellness and resilience tactics from Griffith counsellors, or brush up on stress-minimisation skills for exams.
Griffith SRC wellness videos
The Griffith SRC's Wellness, Advocacy and Leadership Initiative has developed a series of helpful videos on mental wellness topics such as self care strategies, how to avoid burnout, saving on supermarket stress and much more.
Support for specific conditions
Below you can find information and self-help resources such as online programs and more for specific mental health conditions.
General anxiety
Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. When a person struggles with anxiety, they have intense thoughts and feelings related to worry and concerns that can be challenging to experience. It can interfere and disrupt our everyday lives.
Experiencing some levels of anxiety in life is normal as we go through challenges, participate in life generally and engage in various events in our life. However, some common signs you might experience if you struggle with unhelpful and high anxiety can be excessive worry and fear most of the time, feeling tense regularly and panicky. You might also experience frequent and strong thoughts related to ‘bad future events’.
You might notice in your behaviour that you are frequently avoiding or escaping from anxiety through not participating in daily activities, distraction, drug and alcohol use or procrastination.
Therapist assisted online mental health support:
Mindspot - The Mood Mechanic course helps individuals manage mild, moderate, or severe symptoms of depression and anxiety. You will be asked to complete an online assessment to determine the level of support you require.
Thiswayup - Undertake a self-directed or clinician supervised course to assist you with symptoms of anxiety. Course is available at a cost of $59 for 3 months access.
Mental Health Online - The Generalised Anxiety program may be most helpful for people who experience mild to severe anxiety and are 18 years or over. You might also find the GAD program useful if you don’t have a diagnosis of anxiety but have difficulties with worry. This program also offers specific support for individuals who are suffering with depression and anxiety simultaneously.
General self-help and online resources:
e-couch - e-couch provides a free toolkit of courses and activities to help 15–25 year olds deal with a range of mental health concerns.
Moodgym - Similar to an interactive self-help book which helps you learn and practise skills which can help to prevent and manage symptoms of anxiety. Designed for 15–25 year olds, but registration is open for individuals of all ages.
Mycompass - Designed for ages 18–75 with anxious and/or stress symptoms in the mild-to-moderate range who would like to improve their mental health.
SANE Australia - Provides information, support and resources about mental health issues and enables you to develop resilience, increase coping skills, and facilitate help-seeking behaviour.
Anxiety factsheets and guides Moderated forums for those with lived experiences
Snap-shot app - An app from the Black Dog Institute which allows you to measure and monitor mental health and lifestyle factors that influence your wellbeing. Also provides response based advice on how to improve health and wellbeing, and offers recommendations for where to seek help and support.
Depression
Depression is characterized by ongoing and persistent low mood, a feeling of sadness, and a general loss of interest in things. Depression is not a short-term problem and can last for months.
Most people feel sad or depressed at times. It’s a normal reaction to loss or life's struggles. However, intense sadness – including feeling helpless, hopeless, and worthless – lasts for weeks to months and keeps you from living your life, it may be something more than sadness.
Some signs that you might be struggling with strong and intense sadness might be a depressed mood during most of the day, especially in the morning, excessive tiredness or lack of energy and motivation, feelings of worthlessness and guilt daily and sleep difficulties. You might also notice difficulties in focusing, remembering things and making decisions.
Therapist assisted online mental health support:
Mindspot - The Wellbeing course helps adults aged 26–65 years learn to manage mild, moderate, or severe symptoms of depression and anxiety.
| Ages 18-25 | Ages 26-65 | Ages 60+ | Indigenous Australians |
Thiswayup - Undertake a self-directed or clinician supervised course to assist you with symptoms of depression (also includes pregnancy and postnatal courses). Course is available at a cost of $59 for 3 months access. Also available in Mandarin.
Mental Health Online - The Depression Online program may be most helpful for people who experience mild to moderate levels of depression and are 18 years or over. You might also find this program useful if you don’t have a diagnosis of depression but have difficulties with low mood.
General self-help and online resources:
e-couch - e-couch provides a free toolkit of courses and activities to help 15–25 year olds deal with a range of mental health concerns.
Moodgym - Similar to an interactive self-help book which helps you learn and practise skills which can help to prevent and manage symptoms of depression. Designed for 15–25 year olds, but registration is open for individuals of all ages.
Mycompass - Designed for ages 18–75 with depressive symptoms in the mild-to-moderate range who would like to improve their mental health.
Reach out - An internet service for young people that provides information, support and resources about mental health issues and enables them to develop resilience, increase coping skills, and facilitate help-seeking behaviour. Also moderated forums.
Panic and acute anxiety
A person who experiences out-of-the-blue panic and acute anxiety and are very preoccupied with the fear of a recurring attack can be experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition called panic attacks. Panic attacks occur unexpectedly, sometimes even when waking up from sleep.
A panic attack can happen anywhere, at any time. You may feel terrified and overwhelmed, even though you’re not in any danger. A panic attack is a sudden strong feeling of fear where you might experience pounding or fast heartbeat, sweating, trembling, chest pain, trouble breathing, numbness and a fear of losing control and/or dying.
If this kind of random event has happened to you at least twice, and you constantly worry and change your routine or behaviour to avoid having one, it can be symptoms of panic and high anxiety difficulties.
Therapist assisted online mental health support:
Mindspot - The Mood Mechanic course helps young adults aged 18–25 years learn to manage mild, moderate, or severe symptoms of anxiety and panic disorder.
Thiswayup - Undertake a self-directed or clinician supervised course to assist you with panic disorder. Course is available at a cost of $59 for 3 months access.
Mental Health Online - The Panic Disorder program is designed for people aged 18 and over and can be completed in a self directed manner or with free online clinician supervision for personalised feedback and monitoring over 12 weeks.
Obsessive thoughts and persistent behaviours
Thoughts can often influence our behaviour. Strong anxious thoughts (obsessions) that are recurring can influence unhealthy patterns of behaviour (compulsions) that can lead to disruption in daily life.
When people experience obsessions frequently, such as “I forgot to lock the door”, it can lead to frequently getting out of bed to check that it is locked (compulsion). The behaviour of checking the door is done to make the thought ‘go away’. However, usually the thoughts comes back very soon after, leading to a repeated pattern of behaviour.
People can often struggle with this thought and behaviour pattern around cleanliness and order, counting, hoarding of objects, safety and checking, persistent sexual thoughts and religious issues.
Therapist assisted online mental health support:
Mindspot - The OCD course helps adults aged 18 years and over to manage obsessions and compulsions.
Thiswayup - The OCD course is suitable for people with more than one episode of OCD and who are ready to confront their fears very gradually. Course is available at a cost of $59 for 3 months access.
Mental Health Online - The OCD Stop! program may be most helpful for people aged 18 and over who experience mild to moderate OCD symptoms. Can be completed in a self directed manner or with free online clinician supervision for personalised feedback and monitoring over 12 weeks.
MyCompass - Work through modules providing information on obsessive thoughts and persistent behaviours and develop coping skills. Also contains self-assessment tools that track your wellbeing over time.
General self-help and online resources:
Snap-shot app - An app from the Black Dog Institute which allows you to measure and monitor mental health and lifestyle factors that influence your wellbeing. Also provides response based advice on how to improve health and wellbeing, and offers recommendations for where to seek help and support.
Post-traumatic stress difficulties
Post-traumatic stress is a debilitating mental health condition that can occur when a person has directly experienced—or even just witnessed—an extremely traumatic, tragic, or terrifying event.
Post traumatic stress symptoms can develop after a person is exposed to, either personally or as a witness to sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, or other threats on a person's life.
Symptoms include vivid memories, feeling constantly on edge and avoiding reminders of the event. It is common for people to have some of the symptoms of PTSD in the first few days after the traumatic event. Most will recover by themselves or with the support of family and friends.
Therapist assisted online mental health support:
Mindspot - The PTSD course helps adults aged 18 years and over to manage psychological and emotional symptoms resulting from experiencing a traumatic event.
Thiswayup - The PTSD course has been developed for people who have symptoms of post traumatic stress, and teaches you practical skills to help you recover. Course is available at a cost of $59 for 3 months access.
Mental Health Online - The PTSD Online program may be most helpful for people aged 18 and over who experience mild to moderate PTSD. Can be completed in a self directed manner or with free online clinician supervision for personalised feedback and monitoring over 12 weeks.
General self-help and online resources:
Mycompass - Designed for ages 18–75 with anxious and/or stress symptoms in the mild-to-moderate range who would like to improve their mental health.
Reach out - An internet service for young people that provides information, support and resources about mental health issues and enables them to develop resilience, increase coping skills, and facilitate help-seeking behaviour. Also moderated forums.
Difficulty sleeping
Sleep can be a problem factor in relation to a variety of mental health conditions including depression, anxiety and stress disorders. In some instances, sleep problems can indicate deeper mental health concerns.
Sleep disorders are conditions that result in changes in the way that you sleep. A sleep disorder can affect your overall health, safety and quality of life. Sleep deprivation can affect your ability to drive safely and increase your risk of other health problems.
Some of the signs and symptoms of sleep disorders include excessive daytime sleepiness, irregular breathing or increased movement during sleep. Other signs and symptoms include an irregular sleep and wake cycle and difficulty falling asleep.
General self-help and online resources:
Thiswayup - Provides a free course aimed at at chronic insomnia without therapist support. The course includes comic based stories, audio relaxation drills, and a sleep diary.
Mycompass - Personalised, free self-help tool for mental health that allows you to work through modules on skills that may help with sleeping difficulties.
Sleepio - Build a customised, online sleep improvement program for insomnia.
Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) - CCI provides a wide range of mental health informational resources in downloadable format.
Alcohol and substance use
When a person engages in behaviour such as using too much alcohol, tobacco or other drugs it can be called substance abuse, substance dependence or addiction.
When someone loses control of their alcohol or drug use or when the substance starts causing harm like injuries or medical problems, damaging relationships or causing problems at work, then it can be a sign that the habit is becoming a problem.
People who use substances too frequently may become dependent. It means they don't feel the effects of the substance any more, and experience cravings or withdrawal symptoms when stopping.
General self-help and online resources:
Alcohol and Drug Foundation - Australian organisation dedicated to factual information to inspire positive change and deliver evidence-based approaches to minimise alcohol and drug harm.
Just Ask Us - Just Ask Us is a program funded by the Australian Government's Department of Health and is operated by the Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre in Victoria. It was developed to assist tertiary students in finding information and seeking help for a mental health or alcohol and other drug problem.
Drinkwise - Established in 2005 by the alcohol industry, DrinkWise Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation. Its primary focus is to help bring about a healthier and safer drinking culture in Australia.
Recovery programs:
Alcoholics Anonymous - Offers in-person and online support groups and counselling for alcohol addiction.
Narcotics Anonymous - Offers in-person and online support groups and counselling for substance abuse and addiction.
Smart Recover - Network of mutual support meetings, where participants act as support for each other.
Eating patterns and weight issues
Unhelpful eating patterns and weight issues are emotional and physical difficulties in which sufferers use food and sometimes exercise in different ways to manage difficult circumstances in their lives and the feelings that come with them.
Someone who struggles with unhelpful eating patterns and thought patterns can often have extreme concerns about weight, shape, eating and/or body image.
These concerns lead to unhelpful and unhealthy patterns of behaviour, including restricting food intake, fasting, counting calories, vomiting, misuse of laxatives, and excessive or driven exercise. These behaviours can greatly affect a persons physical, psychological and social functioning.
General self-help and online resources:
Reach Out - An internet service for younger people that provides information, support and resources about mental health issues and enables you to develop resilience, increase coping skills, and facilitate help-seeking behaviour. Also moderated forums.
Mental Health Online - Offers a 20 to 45 minute adaptive screening tool for most issues including eating disorders.
Head to Health - Online government service to find the online help you need, contains specific support for eating disorders, including action plans and ability to speak to mental health professionals online.
The Butterfly Foundation - Support site for people with eating disorders and body image issues. Can help you find information and support groups and also offers a national helpline (Eating Disorder National Helpline - 1800 334 673)
Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) - CCI provides a wide range of mental health informational resources in downloadable format.
Griffith Mental Wellbeing Support Line
The Griffith Mental Wellbeing Support Line operates 24/7.Text or call this service for help to:
| Contact details
Please noteCall 000 (emergency services) if you are in danger. This service does not offer ongoing counselling, but we can link you with on-campus and community counselling and wellbeing services and resources. |
Suicide response and prevention
To speak to someone immediately, call:
- Griffith Mental Wellbeing Support Line, available 24/7. Phone 1300 785 442 or text 0488 884 146
- 1300 MH Call - Queensland mental health triage service - 1300 642 255
- Suicide Callback Service phone 1300 659 467
- Kids Helpline phone 1800 551 800 (for young people up to age 25).
- Headspace - headspace.org.au
- QLife (LGBTIQ+ support) - 1800 184 527
If you’re concerned about someone else in relation to self-harm or suicide, there are steps you can take to help them.
Sexual assault and harassment
If you have been, or feel you have been, subject to unwanted behaviour you can also seek support outside of Griffith University through the following services:
- 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) - DV and sexual violence support
- DV Connect - 1800 811 811
- Queensland Police Service
- Sexual Assault services in Queensland
You can also access our personal violence counselling, which provides specialist and priority support for domestic violence, sexual assault, rape, sexual harassment, childhood sexual abuse and other forms of personal violence or intimidation.
Emergency hotlines
These organisations can provide immediate phone support:
- 1300 MH CALL 1300 642 255 is a confidential mental health telephone triage service that provides the first point of contact to public mental health services to Queenslanders. 1300 MH CALL is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will link to the caller’s nearest Queensland Public Mental Health service.
- Lifeline telephone counselling, call 131 114
- Suicide Callback Service, call 1300 659 467
- Mensline, call 1300 789 978
Mental health crisis services
Location | Facility | Phone |
|---|---|---|
Brisbane North | Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Acute Assessment | 07 3834 1605 |
Brisbane South | Princess Alexandra Hospital, Mental Health Assessment Team | 1300 858 998 |
Gold Coast | Mental Health Acute Care | 07 5519 7660 |
Logan Hospital | Mental Health Assessment Team | 07 3299 8056 |
Services for staff health and wellbeing
Griffith University recognises the significance of supporting mental health and wellbeing. The Workplace Wellbeing and Counselling program is available for all HDR students and employees. The service supports the entire work, health and life journey including individual health and wellbeing.
Griffith's on-campus Health and Medical Services are also open to staff.
Contact Counselling and Wellbeing
Get in contact with us or book an appointment to see how we can help.
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