student counseling office

Problems/Difficulties in Student Life

about the student counseling office

The Student Counseling Office is open to all Hokudai students, regardless of year, school, or graduate school. We provide consultation on various psychological issues related to university life, such as relationship issues, personality issues, mood swings, concerns about academics and career paths, etc.

Counselors certified as clinical psychologists are available for consultations every day from Monday to Friday. The privacy of your consultation will be respected, so please feel free to come in.

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Have You Felt Any of the Following Difficulties?

  • I want to know more about myself.
  • I feel depressed and not motivated.
  • I want to make a good daily routine for myself.
  • I cannot sleep at night. I cannot wake up in the morning.
  • I am no good at carrying on a conversation. I just can’t do small talk.
  • I want to communicate better with the people around me.
  • It is hard to find friends because unlike high school, we all take different classes.
  • I have to miss many classes, and may not be able to earn credits.
  • The atmosphere of the university and the classes of my department are different from what I expected. I want to change departments.
  • I want to think about my future.
  • My job search is not going well. I cannot present myself well at the interview.
  • I am wondering my sexuality/gender.                                                      

We Work with You to Come up with Solutions for Problems in Your Life at the University

We can work with you to think about not only the solutions to your problems and difficulties, but also give you tips to further develop yourself and accomplish more in your studies/researches.

To Students

For a Successful Student Life

As a student, you may need to overcome many stressors in your life, such as studies, research, future career, relationships with family and friends, gender identity, physical and mental health. The Student Counseling Office provides consultation on a wide range of problems/difficulties in order to support you.

Everyone is different, so comparing your problems with other people’s problems is not useful. Even if you think “my problem is much smaller than other people’s,” it may be affecting you much more than you suspect. We will be more than happy to assist you with anything, so feel free to contact us.

Various counseling services are available at Student Counseling Office.
Choose the one that meets your needs.

Counseling Approaches

Seminars and Workshops

Having knowledge and skills will help you to enrich your student life. We organize various seminars and workshops here at Student Counseling Office.

If you participate in seminars on topics related to what you want to improve you may be able to find some tips. Contact us if you want to sign up.

Past Workshops
Resilience in Campus Life

You may be stressed out due to unexpected problems and difficulties in your student life. Learn how to counter such stress effectively, and you may be able to find the solution before the stress  consumes your life.
(Series of 5 classes)

①How to Relax; ②How to Sleep Better; ③Mindfulness; ④How to Counter Procrastination; and ⑤Practice Communication Skills

Communication Seminar

Brush up your communication skills to build better personal relationships. You can learn basic conversation technique through the show-and-tell session and practices in small groups.
(Series of 5 classes)

①Orientation; ②How to Start the Conversation; ③How to Carry on the Conversation; ④How to End the Conversation; and ⑤Comprehensive Practice

To Faculty/Staff and Families of Students

At the Student Counseling Office, we provide assistance to faculty/staff and families of students regarding how to understand and help students. If you find students who may need help or to whom you cannot provide sufficient help, contact the Student Counseling Office. We will work with you to think about how to better handle students’ issues, how to assist them, and how to provide advice.

Consultation Service to Faculty/Staff and Families of Students

The Student Counseling Office provides consultation services to faculty/staff and families of students.
To request, see “Faculty/Staff and Families of Students” on the “Inquiry/Appointment” page.

Case Examples
  • I noticed one student has been behaving out of character recently, but I don’T know how to approach them and offer help.
  • I cannot convey my intentions to my students.
  • I cannot communicate well with students.

Training Requests

The Student Counseling Office provides lectures and workshops on topics related to student support for faculty (FD) and staff (SD). We send instructors to training programs of faculty/staff/students organized by departments/schools upon request. If you would like to have an FD/SD training session, we can provide instructors. Please send us an inquiry by email or call us.

Past Lectures
  • “Understanding Today’s Students – Student Counseling Office’s View on Difficulties and Development of Students –”
  • “Basics of How to Answer to Students’ Questions – From the Perspective of Day-to-Day Student Support –”
  • “On-campus Mental Care”
  • “Various Issues in Consultation for Students and How to Answer to Them”
  • “Supporting Students with Diverse Backgrounds – Recent Trends and Cases”/li>

Useful resources

Here is a summary of useful information and advice. Finding information related to your difficulties may help ease your mind or give you some tips to finding the solution yourself. Hopefully they are helpful.

Useful resources from the Student Counseling Office

Peer Support Unit

At the Peer Support Unit: Student Consultation Section, student peer supporters will help you with your questions/concerns. No appointment is necessary. Simply walk in!

Peer Support Unit

Become a peer supporter

Hokkaido University takes applications for peer supporters at designated times throughout the year. Peer supporters are paid part-time staff (administrative assistant) of the university. Check out the peer support unit web site or come to the Center for more information.

Thinking about visiting us?

If you would like to make a counseling appointment, please call us, email us, or even just drop by in person. Students with appointments are given priority, so we recommend making an appointment.