Psycho-Social Concerns
Support is offered on how to handle relationship issues, sexual harassment, alcohol, drug abuse, discrimination, addiction, exclusion, stigmatization and bullying.
Academic Concerns
Academic support and advice are offered on how to manage academic underperformance, study support, low productivity, absenteeism, professional misconduct and work-related stress.
Health Related Concerns
Support is provided to those with health problems such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, high and low blood pressure and psychic disorders.
Economic and Financial Concerns
Information and advice are provided on how to handle finances, debt and other economic challenges.
About Counselling Unit
The University of Dar es Salaam Counselling Unit was established in 2020 as part of the implementation of the Guidance and Counselling Perspective, Policy and Procedures of 2018. This policy builds on the UDSM Corporate Strategic Plan (2014-2023).
The University of Dar es Salaam is now a more complex institution to administer due to the tremendous increase of students and staff. Hence the University is committed to provide available and accessible Guidance and Counselling services to its students and staff to be able to assist them to address the challenges that they increasingly face. The services will enable them to cope with the working environment; deal with their health-related challenges; strengthen collegial relationships; promote institutional harmony and peace, and help them to deal with stressful situation. Indeed, it is generalized perspective that University Staff and Students alike are vulnerable human beings craving for psychological health as well as physical and mental health so as to realize their full potential.
Objectives
The broad priority objective of UDSM Guidance and Counseling Unit is to formalize and strengthen staff and students support so as to cover a range of services that will be offered to university staff and students, including;
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Counselling
Covering areas of life that may impinge the study success namely health problems, dealing with unsympathetic spouses and friends or employers/teachers/supervisors etc. -
Guidance and advice
Covering such areas as career choice and guidance, course choice, further study options after graduations, staff dissatisfies and satisfiers. -
Academic Support
Covering the support that a teacher provides to a learner as an integral part of their academic study, including feedback on their performance, clarification of areas where they indicate they have difficulties. This objective will include advice to staff on activities /task/ of similar nature like; Upgrading, on-job training and mentoring. -
Study support
Covering such areas as learning skills (writing skills, note-taking, online learning, revision and examination skills) and reading styles (e.g., use of generic approach) -
Health support
The Counselling Unit has a help desk at the University of Dar es Salaam health center working collaboratively to cover health counselling programs for staff and students targeting challenges related to ill health concerns relating to diabetes, HIV/AIDS, high blood pressure and psychic disorders. -
Financial challenges advisory
The Counselling Unit has a help desk at the University of Dar es Salaam Entrepreneurship center (UDEC) working collaboratively to offer economic and financial challenges advice. The help desk will organize entrepreneurial clinic for needy staff and students.
COUNSELLING SERVICES PROVIDED
The UDSM Guidance and Counselling services include, but not limited to:- Anger and Stress Management
- Anxiety and Depression Issues
- Retirement and Retrenchment Counselling
- Marital and Marriage Counselling
- Academic Concerns
- Economic and Financial Concerns
- Health Related Concerns
- Grief Counselling
- Career Guidance and Counselling
- HIV/ AIDS Counselling
- Work and Life Balance
- Preventive Counselling
- Counselling People with Special Needs
- Rehabilitation Counselling
- Conflict Resolution to Staff and Students
- Sexuality Counselling
- Relationship Counselling
- Group Counselling
- Suicide Prevention
- Addiction Counselling
- Bullying and Harassment Concerns
WHY WE RECOMMEND OUR COUNSELLING SERVICES
- We adhere to professional counselling ethics and integrity
- We monitor clients’ progress and adjust the treatment plan if required
- We provide individual and group counselling sessions
- We raise mental awareness of clients through counselling sessions
- We provide education to the university community on counselling issues such as stress management, substance use, addiction, mental health, psychological wellbeing etc.
HOW TO ACCESS THE SERVICES
Please book an appointment by email: counselling@udsm.ac.tz , telephone: +255736393936 or online.
The services provided are free of charge.
CROSS-CUTTING ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
- There will be assurance of confidentiality.
- There will be protection of persons guided and counselled from the effects of guidance and counselling.
- There will be insistence of securing consent from persons counselled.
- There will be assurance of avoidance of unethical use of information gained during guidance and counselling sessions.
- There will be assurance of a credible offer of the option of anonymity to individuals guided and counselled.
