Frequently Asked Questions

Undergraduate and graduate students who are experiencing stress that interferes with their academic progress. The FITA program is open to students in all degree-granting programs at Carleton, who are taking at least 1.5 credits (3 courses) in the Fall or Winter.  

Yes. 

Yes, but you can access very similar resources through the PMC. Please speak to your PMC Coordinator about the possibility of working with a PMC Learning Strategist or Counselling Intern.

Generally, we encourage student to only be involved in one type of counselling at a time as to prevent overlapping service delivery. This is for the benefit of the individual student and allows us to provide the best kind of care we can. This also allows Carleton to maximize access to counselling services on campus. 

If you have been Debarred or Suspended you cannot participate in this program. Only current Carleton students enrolled full-time this semester can be registered in the FITA program.

All meetings at FITA are scheduled for one therapeutic hour (50-minutes). 

After you have completed your 12 weekly sessions, you and your Coordinator will discuss how to move forward. You may decide that you are finished with FITA, or you may decide that you’d like to continue on a more limited basis (e.g. a session every 2 weeks, or weekly half-hour sessions.

Occasionally, a FITA student requires an additional session here and there, over and above the regular weekly sessions (e.g. due to a crisis, a particularly tough week, etc.). These are available on a limited basis. Students should be aware that these sessions may or not be with their regular Coordinator.

There is no single type of student who usually signs up for this program. However, we have noticed that the groups below really benefit from the type of support we provide:

• Students experiencing a high level of worry based on major stressful life events (i.e. death in family, breakup), transition issues, not understanding program/course expectations
• Students on Academic Warning, or those whose academics are impacted by difficulties with study skills or personal stresses
• Students who are having difficulty maintaining a healthy life balance
• Students who are exploring their degree options but so far nothing feels like a ‘good fit’ and they are feeling unmotivated and lost
• Students who experience difficulty concentrating, whether during class or when doing homework (but do not have an ADHD diagnosis)
• Students who feel they are way too stressed out and need to “get it together” 

If you are stressed to the point where you would like someone to look at your situation and help you make some decisions, this program is right for you. All people feel stress differently, however, the common effects of stress during school are:

• Difficulty making decisions
• Avoidance, i.e. staying in bed, avoiding tasks, social isolation, etc.
• Seemingly uncontrollable procrastination
• Feelings of worthlessness/helplessness
• “Blanking” on tests/exams
• Memory and concentration problems
• Severe changes in appetite
• Sleep difficulties (exhaustion of difficulty sleeping)
• Irritability and difficulty in relationships

A good rule of thumb is: if you have found your way to this website because you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, you should contact us. If you don’t need intensive support, we can refer you to other services on campus to address your specific needs.

Unfortunately, no, due to legislative restrictions surrounding the practice of counselling and psychotherapy.  However, the following services may be available to you: Empower Me, TAO online therapy, Big White Wall, etc. See link.