Guidance counsellors services

If you want to talk to a guidance counsellor, you can either arrive for drop in counselling or make an appointment. With the guidance counsellor, you can discuss topics such as scheduling studies, setting goals, progress in studies and starting or completing assignments. You can also discuss with your guidance counselor about making future choices or structuring your thoughts.

Study guidance is carried out in confidential cooperation, where the counsellor and student are equal partners who respect one another. The counsellor does not provide ready answers or tell the student what to do, but rather discusses matters with the student. If required, the student and counsellor can meet several times during the guidance process, if the student prefers to do so based on their joint assessment.

Your information is treated confidentially and is only processed by our study counsellors. We store guidance-related information for one term, after which any direct identifiers are removed. The information is used for statistics and for service development.

Ethical Guidelines for Guidance Counsellors (Finnish Guidance Counsellors – SOPO, 2021).

Individual guidance appointment

You can make an appointment for individual guidance in the appointment booking system. You can make an appointment with any guidance counsellor who has free time. If no free times are found, return to see the appointment system again later. When booking, you can choose to write what issues you would like to discuss with your guidance counsellor. The duration of the appointment is one hour. We recommend to use your helsinki.fi e-mail address when booking the appointment.

Student contact work

The University of Helsinki's Guiding and Student Wellbeing Development Project pilots targeted contact with students. Work is carried out in individual faculties and degree programmes or their study directions. Students are offered an opportunity to meet a guidance counsellor based on credit accrual.

What kinds of topics can you discuss with a guidance counsellor?

Guidance counselling supports the development of self-knowledge, finding one's strengths and motivation, and making choices and decisions related to studies. The goal of guidance is to clarify your thoughts through a common conversation and provide tools for the smooth progress of your studies. The guidance counselor will support you in reflecting on life issues and making decisions, choices and plans.

The services of guidance are aimed at degree students of the University of Helsinki. You can turn to a guidance counselor if you experience challenges in your studies (time management, study techniques) or you want someone with whom you can discuss topics of the choices and opportunities related to studying.

Guidance counselling can include different methods (e.g. tests, visualizations and intermediate tasks), in addition to discussion, to help you identify your strengths and make plans and decisions. If you need help with things like reconciling your studies and working life or in different selection situations, you can turn to a guidance counselor.

Examples of typical situations in which students seek guidance:

•    “I have started my studies at the university and the difference from previous studies seems challenging.”
•     “Preparing for exams and starting or completing assignments seems difficult.”
•     'I don't manage to schedule my days enough to get assignments done on time. '
•     “I don't have enough free time to bounce back from my study days.”
•     “I have challenges with starting or completing a thesis.”
•     “I wonder if I want to continue my studies or if I am perhaps in the wrong place.”
•     “I would like to consider the issues related to combining studies and other life together.”
•     “Going back to my studies wonders me.”

When do other services best support you?

Would any other service support your needs best? Please also consult the services listed below.

When planning your studies, such as course selections, drawing up a curriculum or audit of your studies, you will be supported by the faculty's local student services and supervising teachers. You can check your instructor's page on study planning and PSP guidance.

For questions related to Sisu or in the practice of using Sisu, you can apply to Sisu counselling, as well as for faculty student counselling.

If you have any questions about the study opportunities offered by the University of Helsinki or how to apply to the university, you can contact admission services. In questions related to Open University studies, you will be helped by the Open University of Helsinki.

Drop in guidance counselling

Drop-in counselling allows you to come and talk to a guidance counsellor without an appointment. Drop in tutoring time is set aside about 20 minutes per student.

See the table below for the exact times and locations of the fall 2022 drop-in guidance counselling:

the City Centre Campus (Kaisa-building Guidance corner, Fabianinkatu 30) at 13-15

Mon 17.4. ​

Swedish School of Social Science (Snellmanninkatu 12, room 122)

Viikki Campus (Info Centre Korona, 2nd floor, room 2045, Viikinkaari 11) at 13-15

Thu 13.4.
Thu 11.5.

Kumpula Campus (Physicum, library 2nd floor, signs, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2) at 13-15

Wed 12.4
Wed 3.5

Meilahti Campus (meeting room Kuutti, Biomedicum 1, B328a1, 3rd floor, Haartmaninkatu 8) at 13-15

Mon 3.4.
Mon 15.5.

Zoom https://helsinki.zoom.us/j/63751009612 13-15

Mon 17.4  at 13-15

Instructions for Zoom drop in

Join in the Zoom: https://helsinki.zoom.us/j/63751009612

You will be directed to a waiting room, and when the guidance counsellor is available, she/he will let you in. Notice that there might be other students before you in the waiting line, so you might have to wait until the guidance counsellor is available. Notice that if you close your Zoom while in waiting room and then try come back later, you will end up at the end of the waiting line.

When guidance counsellor lets you in, open your microphone and camera and check that your name is visible at Zoom. The conversation is confidential and it will never be recorded. Meeting will take about 20 minutes.

If there are technical problems and your Zoom closes, try to get back soon as you can. If you can't arrive back in the waiting room immediately, guidance counsellor will, of course, wait for a couple of minutes, so don't worry! However, after waiting a bit, then she/he will take the next student in. In case of questions or technical difficulties, please contact guidancecounsellors@helsinki.fi.

If you need help with Sisu, your study plan, recognition of studies or if you want to check if you have accomplished all necessary studies for your degree, please contact the Student Services.

Group counselling

Groups organized by guidance counsellors, career counsellors and study psychologists provide peer support and guidance to support your studies. Information about groups can be found on the Group Guidance pages.

Guidance Corner

In guidance corner organizes various low-threshold activities related to the smooth and well-being of studies. Check out the recurring events offered by guidance counselors below.Wednesday coffees with guidance and career counsellors

Need a moment's break to study? Would a cup of coffee or tea? Come and meet the university's guidance and career counsellors and have a cup of coffee or tea every other Wednesday at the Guidance Corner of Kaisa House or Viikki starting on 7 September. At the same time, you can exchange affiliations with us and, if you wish, you can discuss matters related to the fluency of studies or career reflections. See the Group Guidance pages  for more detailed information.

Tomato Thursdays

Guidance counselors and study psychologists organize study sessions open to all students over remote connections on Zoom. These sessions are based on the Pomodoro Technique. The sessions include introductions to and occasionally also utilisation of other learning techniques, such as the SMART technique. The goal of the study sessions is to provide you with a time and place where you can focus and work on your current study tasks under guidance, together with other students. You can participate remotely or in the Kaisa houses Guidance Corner. There is no separate registration for the event. More information on the Guidance Corners webpage

You can ask about the services of Guidance Counsellors through service address: guidancecounsellors@helsinki.fi. Appointment for individual guidance counselling is not possible through the service address.

Guidance counsellors and sponsor faculties

Aidantausta Piia (leave of absence)

Herjanto Matilda
Faculty of Law, Faculty of Theology and Faculty of Educational Sciences

Ihalainen Laura
Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Arts

Loippo-Sännälä Eva
Faculty of Social Sciences, Swedish School of Social Science and degree programmes conducted in Swedish

Saarinen Hanna-Maaria (leave of absence)

Siirilä Sanna
Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, individual arrangements and learning difficulties

Vuori Johanna
Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International degree programmes

Stenberg Elisa
Faculty of Science