Accepting the Student’s Right to Say No

Except in certain life-threatening situations (suicidal intent, violence towards others), the choice of whether to seek professional help at Counselling Services is completely up to that individual. If a distressed student remains adamant about not seeking counselling, you need to accept the student’s decision.

If you are quite concerned about such a student, consult with Counselling Services. The counsellor could suggest alternative ways of approaching the student, to help you more effectively intervene on the student’s behalf, or confirm that you have done all that you could do.