Study psychologist services for students

• Available support for well-being can be found on the page mental well-being.
• Enrolment is currently open for the Groups 4 Health: promoting studies and improving well-being by supporting social belonging 2 cr, available to all university students.
• Individual counselling appointments are limited. Any available times will be released in the booking system on Thursdays between 9:00 and 11:00.
• If you have an illness or disability that affects your studies and you need individual arrangements, you can apply for the university's recommendation (application forms can be found via the link above). If you are not sure what arrangements you might need, please contact the accessibility contact person at your campus.
• The Nyyti ry organization supports student’s mental health and ability to study. They arrange groups for students and online courses about different themes.

Study psychologists offer small-group sessions in Finnish, focusing on different study-related themes. You can participate in a group if you understand Finnish, and you are welcome to ask questions in English during the sessions. The university also offers other courses and groups in English.

For bachelor's and master's students we primarily recommend exploring the university’s selection of small-group activities and courses. In a group, you can realize that you are not alone with your problems and hear ideas from other students on how to solve issues or cope with challenges related to studying. 

Established courses supporting students’ well-being at the university include: 

• Groups 4 Health (PSYK-475): This 2-credit course supports student well-being and studies by strengthening social skills, group interaction, and connections with others. It aims to reduce loneliness and promote coping and well-being.
• Towards better studying and well-being course (PED590): This 3-credit course supports well-being and academic progress by strengthening psychological resilience and providing practical tools for studying and coping. It includes independent online exercises and group discussions.

Information about other upcoming groups and courses can be found on the Groups and Courses to Support Study Ability and Career Planning page. The page also provides information about relevant groups and courses offered outside the university.

Individual counselling for bachelor's and master's degree students 

Small-group sessions with study psychologists are not available for students who do not speak Finnish. This has been considered in the amount of individual guidance appointments offered in English. We add new appointment times to the booking system on Thursdays between 9:00 and 11:00. You may book an appointment with any study psychologist who has availability. 

If needed, you can access individual guidance from a study psychologist through your home faculty’s study guidance services, an accessibility liaison, your supervising teacher, or other teaching staff.

With a study psychologist, you can discuss topics that are also covered in the study psychologists’ Support for Studies materials - have a look!

For more information about individual guidance, please see the Frequently Asked Questions for Study Psychologists page.

Individual counselling is primarily aimed at doctoral researchers who are funded by a grant or other external sources. If you are employed by the university, you should primarily seek services from occupational health. In Flamma you can find more information about occupational health services. 

A study psychologist can offer an external perspective outside your doctoral programme, for example on the following challenges related to doctoral studies:

• stress
• motivation issues
• procrastination
• balancing studies with other aspects of life
• challenges related to supervision of the dissertation

Book an individual counselling session via the booking system. Make sure to select a time slot reserved for doctoral researchers from the dropdown menu. New appointment times are added to the booking system on Thursdays.

Study psychologists primarily offer in-person counselling. If necessary, you may request remote counselling when booking by sending an email to the study psychologist with whom you are making an appointment. You can find the study psychologists’ contact details in the staff directory.

A Moodle page is available for doctoral researchers' peer meetings (course key: wellbeing), featuring material in English related to the well-being and work of doctoral researchers. You are also welcome to explore the material independently.

Towards better Wellbeing and Thesis Work (PHD-316): This 3-credit course is aimed for doctoral researchers and supports well-being and thesis-related working life skills through self-compassion, recovery, values, and time management. It includes online modules, group work, and reflection on personal development.

Centrum: Snellmaninkatu 12 (room 331); Fabianinkatu 30 (4th floor, Kaisa House Guidance Facilities)

Kumpula: Chemicum, room A117 (map)

Viikki: Infokeskus Korona, Viikinkaari 11, 2nd floor, room 2043

Meilahti: Haartmaninkatu 3, room B111

The study psychologists' shared email address is opintopsykologi@helsinki.fi. Please observe that you cannot book an appointment through email.

What types of issues can I contact a study psychologist about? What happens at an appointment with a study psychologist? Find answers to frequently asked questions.

The Study Psychologist services follow secure data protection principles. Read more detailed information about how your personal data is processed.