Universitas Gadjah Mada prioritises the needs of underrepresented groups within its academic community by offering tailored mentoring, counselling, and peer support programs. These mentoring, counselling, and peer support programs are essential in creating a welcoming environment for underrepresented groups on campus. By addressing their unique challenges and providing tailored support, these initiatives not only foster a sense of belonging but also empower individuals to overcome obstacles and successfully complete their studies.
The following initiatives are designed to address challenges related to mental health, time management, self-esteem, and overall well-being. By fostering an inclusive and supportive environment, UGM ensures that students, staff, and faculty from underrepresented backgrounds have access to the resources and guidance needed to succeed and thrive.
Comprehensive Psychological Support for Underrepresented Groups
The Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing provides targeted psychological counselling services to support underrepresented students within the academic community. This initiative aims to address mental health challenges, time management difficulties, and other barriers that might hinder academic progress. By offering personalised guidance, the program empowers students to navigate their academic journey more effectively while enhancing their overall well-being.
The services include individual counselling, where students can meet privately with a counsellor to discuss various personal and academic concerns, such as their emotional well-being, interpersonal relationships, stress, anxiety, and self-awareness. This one-on-one approach ensures a safe and confidential space for students to explore their challenges and develop strategies to address them.
Group counselling sessions bring together students facing similar challenges, creating a collaborative environment facilitated by one or more counsellors. These sessions allow participants to explore specific topics in depth while benefiting from mutual support and shared experiences. The number of participants is carefully managed by the group leader to foster effective discussions.
The program also provides psychoeducational services offering a broader range of learning opportunities, including training sessions, seminars, and workshops on topics such as Mental Health First Aid, Self-Love, Relationships, Study Strategies, Time Management, and Goal Setting. These programs are designed to provide both academic and non-academic tools to support students’ personal growth and development.
Peer counselling is another key aspect of the program, where trained student counsellors assist their peers by actively listening, engaging in open dialogue, and helping them develop problem-solving skills. Peer counsellors, who undergo training by professional psychologists, address a variety of concerns such as academic challenges, self-adjustment, bullying, building self-confidence, and conflict resolution. When necessary, they can also refer students to professional counsellors to ensure appropriate support.
Online Psychology Counseling
Psychology counselling is also available online, such as the online platform developed by the Faculty of Psychology, which can be used by all students and staff, including those from underrepresented groups. This platform offers accessible consultation services, psychoeducational resources, and various online courses in the field of psychology. The dedicated website can be accessed from klinik.psikologi.ugm.ac.id.
Pojok Curhat: A Safe Space for Student Support
Besides online counselling, the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada also offers Pojok Curhat as a dedicated space for students to share their experiences and seek counselling services. This initiative fosters open communication and encourages students to address their mental health concerns promptly by providing an easily accessible avenue for professional support.
Psychology Consultation Unit
Source: https://ukp.psikologi.ugm.ac.id/
Psychological Counseling Services at Gadjah Mada Medical Center
For academic-focused psychological counselling, the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) provides counselling services under the Career and Student Development Center (CSDU). These counselling services are offered free of charge to FEB students and can be accessed via the Sintesis platform (academics.feb.ugm.ac.id/portalmhs). Sessions are held with professional psychologists, ensuring high-quality guidance and support.
In addition, CSDU offers peer support counselling facilitated by carefully selected undergraduate students from FEB UGM. These peer supporters undergo a rigorous selection process and comprehensive training in basic counselling skills and psychological first aid. All peer counselling sessions are conducted under the supervision of the faculty’s professional psychologist. Beyond individual consultations, peer supporters also play a vital role as mental health ambassadors, actively promoting mental well-being throughout the FEB UGM community.
Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being at FH UGM
The Faculty of Law at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FH UGM) supports the mental health and well-being of its academic community through the Health Promoting University (HPU) program. It offers free counselling sessions with clinical psychologists (up to four sessions per semester) and peer counselling through Konselor Sebaya Justicia. These services are available to students, faculty, staff, and employees.
Registration for services can be accessed via the following links:
Psychologist counseling: http://ugm.id/RegisLayananPsikolog
Peer counseling: http://ugm.id/RegisLayananPC