About Us
Our Approach
Welcome to the culturally sensitive and respectful wellness support services at FIC. The staff at FIC are aware that health and personal circumstances impact learning and we want to support you during times of crisis and need. We are pleased to offer you counselling services that focus on your personal health and well-being while you study with us. We recognize that, as international students, you often have unique needs and challenges as you enter adulthood and transition to life in Canada and navigate college/university – all aspects of life that may be unfamiliar and challenging. We strive to recognize that racism, discrimination, sexism, homophobia, stigma and other forms of oppression all play a role in mental health and well-being and we will view your struggles within a larger systemic framework.
What is Counselling?
As an international student, you may be unfamiliar with the human service of counselling. You may even believe that your struggles are not serious enough to see a counsellor or you may believe that seeing a counsellor means there is something wrong with you. However, your struggles are a part of the human experience and it does not mean there is anything wrong with you. We all need some guidance and support in our lives and asking for help is a strength, not a weakness.
Counsellors are compassionate listeners who can offer new perspectives, ask questions, and guide conversations to help you gain insight into yourself, your relationships, and the world. Counselling is a unique relationship between you and your counsellor that allows you to explore your emotions, thoughts, behaviours, needs, values and life experiences in a safe, non-judgmental space. When you are actively participating in the counselling process, it can help you improve your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. Counsellors can help you develop your strengths and skills to encourage positive change, personal growth, improved relationships and also academic success.
What can Wellness Office help with?
We believe that it is part of the human condition to have struggles, experience pain and hardship, so let us know if something is troubling you. We talk a lot about mental health in Canada and what we really mean is your overall physical, mental, emotional, social, financial, academic, and spiritual health. We can help you with the following: anxiety, depression, mood, relationships of all kinds, dating, sexuality, identity, difficult emotions, interpersonal conflict, parental pressures, self-harm, suicidality, substance misuse, academic struggles and much more! We can also help you to support friends who are struggling or if you have experienced or witnessed a traumatic experience.
Ready to Connect?
If you would like to connect with the Wellness Team, your first step would be to meet with a member of the Student Success Team.
If you would like to speak to someone outside of office hours, GuardMe Student Support Program (GMSSP) is available to you 24/7, through your GuardMe Medical Insurance coverage. You can download the app on to your phone and choose to connect through text, or video chat. You can also call GMSSP at 1-844-451-9700 or at 1-833-768-2188.
The Wellness Office can also be reached at fic.counsellor@fraseric.ca