My experience using U of T Telus Health Student Support chat therapy

I’ve been an avid user of U of T TELUS Health Student Support (formerly U of T My SSP) chat therapy for several months now. Through the app, I access free 24/7 live-chat counselling by being a student at U of T.

What is MySSP?

U of T Telus Health Student Support is a resource designed to support the overall emotional health and wellbeing of students by providing real-time 24/7 access to professional counsellors.” (Source: U of T Telus Health Student Support FAQ)

Pros/Cons of Chat Therapy:

• Pros: 1-2 minute initial response time, easy to talk to, understanding of common student struggles (relationships, academics, finances, housing, etc.).
• Cons: Takes time to type out my thoughts and wait for responses, counsellors can’t always offer you the response you want to hear.

Important notes to self:

1. I don’t need to “qualify” for counselling. If I am experiencing an emotion and I’d like to process it with someone, I can reach out to MySSP. My issues do not need to be “bad enough” to be worth discussing with a counsellor.

2. Counsellors cannot solve all my problems, but they are good for offering an unbiased perspective at my issues and helping me consider logical solutions.

3. Often, catharsis is all I need. I find great emotional release in typing out how I feel and having my feelings validated. Often, this release is more important to me than actually finding a fix for the issue.

If chat therapy isn’t for you, U of T Telus Health Student Support also offers a phone service.

Best of luck with the new semester; you’re gonna rock this.

Anisha Latchman

2nd year CompSci & CogSci | Life @ U of T Digital Storyteller