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Student Counseling Services (SCS)

Welcome to Student Counseling Services (SCS)

What you nurture grows. Nurture your mental health.

SCS is dedicated to the holistic health of KAUST students and their spouses. Through prevention, intervention, information, and referral services, SCS helps individuals enhance their academic and personal wellbeing.

Scope of Services

SCS provides short-term counseling, crisis intervention, assessments, and referrals for students, student-spouses, and visiting students, while also offering group and couples therapy, outreach programs, and psycho-educational workshops. In addition, SCS collaborates with campus partners, delivers Mental Health First Aid training, supports major university events, and consults with faculty and staff on managing student mental health and crisis response.

What to expect in Counseling

Counseling involves a professional, confidential relationship between a qualified psychologist and their client. This therapeutic alliance offers a safe and supportive space to share concerns, build self-awareness, and enhance wellbeing. Counseling sessions are confidential. In your first session, your psychologist will explore your experiences, coping strategies, and goals, and then work with you to determine the best way forward and identify effective methods to achieve those goals

Confidentiality

All services offered by SCS are strictly confidential. Protecting privacy for counseling services is essential to the professional code of ethics in all mental health professions. Moreover, KAUST is committed to safeguarding students’ records. SCS staff typically will not release any information regarding clients or the services they receive to anyone outside the SCS program without the client's written permission. Your psychologist will discuss SCS’s policies and practices about confidentiality and record keeping with you at the time of your first appointment.

Visit Us

📍 Location
      Building 18, Level 3 — Rooms 3203, 3204 & 3205
      Building 18, Level 4 — Room 4212

⏰ Timings
      Sunday–Thursday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

📧 Email
      scs@kaust.edu.sa

 

PhD Student, PSE, Saudi Arabia

As PhD students, we experience considerable stress due to tight deadlines, frustration from repeatedly failed experiments, and sometimes self-doubt throughout the whole process. It is always productive and helpful to understand and process these emotions in a safe place with professional guidance.

MS Student, CEMSE, China

In the beginning, I encountered challenges with my research and relationships. Counseling helped me realize how my negative assumptions hinder self-acceptance and personal growth. These sessions taught me that nothing starts off perfectly structured – growth and learning take time. I learnt to communicate more openly and collaboratively, which improved my relationships. Lastly, I learnt to value the present, without dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

 

PhD Student, BESE, Saudi Arabia

The counseling service is an integral part of my successful journey at KAUST. I’ve learned so much from the service, including tips on resilience. The work of the counseling team is really appreciated.

 

MS Student, PSE, Saudi Arabia

Initially, I was angry and confused, and I had completely lost faith in getting better. Counseling sessions with my therapist provided me with a new perspective that helped me make great progress and gain a new appreciation of myself, the people around me, and the opportunities presented to me at KAUST.

 

SCS FAQs

All services of the SCS are strictly confidential. SCS staff typically will not release any information regarding clients, or the services they receive, to anyone outside of SCS without the written permission of the client. 

No, our services are free of charge for both graduate students and their spouses.

Yes, SCS offers individual and/or couples counseling to resident spouses of graduate students.

No. Some people who come to counseling are very depressed, feel like they may hurt themselves, or have been subjected to abuse growing up. However, many people come to counseling because their grades are suffering, they can't get along with those around them, or they simply need someone to talk to. SCS counselors have diverse experience working with the range of life and academic issues. 

Counseling is a flexible process tailored to your needs.​ The number of counseling sessions you require will depend on your unique concerns and goals in counseling. On average, clients feel they have met their goals in 6-8 sessions.  Some clients stay in counseling longer or come back to focus on a different concern.