Cape Breton University recognizes the important relationship between mental and physical health, overall well-being and academic success. As such, CBU is committed to supporting students as they develop the skills necessary to enhance well-being and cope with challenges. CBU is also committed to providing access to Health Services through the Nancy Dingwall Health and Counselling Centre to students, both on and off campus.
For international students, CBU has partnered with Guard.Me to offer emergency health services and 24/7 mental health services through keep.me.SAFE, a support service available to help with challenges faced when studying or living abroad. Guard.Me also offers mobileDOCTOR that allows international students to connect with a doctor on your phone or laptop 24/7. For more information on international student health care services, please click here.
If this is an emergency, please call the Nova Scotia Mental Health Crisis Line at 1-888-429-8167 or dial 911.
Staying Healthy at CBU focuses on aspects of mental, physical and emotional health and well-being. Check out the resources below!
The HealthyMindsNS portal provides CBU’s primary online mental health support and resources for Domestic Students.
HealthyMindsNS provides access to our key mental health supports, like Kognito, 7 Cups, and Tao.
CBU also offers personal counselling and other health services through the Max Bell Health and Counselling Centre and we encourage all students to take advantage of these resources.
keep.meSAFE a 24/7 digital mental health support program for international students. keep.meSAFE provides students with access to a large and diverse network of professional counsellors who are equipped to offer support and guidance. Students are matched to a counsellor based on their situation, language and cultural preferences.
CBU also offers personal counselling and other health services through the Nancy Dingwall Health and Counselling Centre and we encourage all students to take advantage of these resources.
Kognito provides online training simulations that teach faculty, staff, and students how to recognize psychological distress, engage in a conversation with someone you may be concerned about, and make a referral to the appropriate resources for someone in need.
To learn more, visit the Kognito website.
7 Cups is a free, anonymous and confidential online peer-support chat for people who just need to talk. Students can connect to peers on their campus or peer-supporters from around the world.
Tao Self-Help is an online mental health library with interactive modules to help you understand and manage how you feel, think and act. You choose the modules you believe will help you feel well and live the life you choose.
The Nancy Dingwall Health and Counselling Centre is located in the Canada Games Complex (near Subway) and offers confidential health services to registered students, staff and faculty. The Nancy Dingwall Health and Counselling Centre is a collaborative health care centre with nurses (including a mental health nurse), physicians and counsellors on site working together to meet the needs of our patients.
Collaborative care means working together. When you call the Nancy Dingwall Health and Counselling Centre, a nurse will do an assessment then assist you with a plan of care and next steps.
To make an inquiry or appointment:
Call 902-563-1359 or email healthservices@cbu.ca
We know taking care of our physical health is important to keep our bodies strong and healthy, but it’s just as important to take care of our mental health. Mental Health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being, which means it affects how we think, feel, and act.
Check out the below video to learn about the differences between Mental Health, Mental Distress and Mental Illness.
Kognito training can help you build the confidence to talk with a friend or classmate who may need help. 
The following books are available through the CBU Library and are great resources to check out during Staying Healthy Week!
Cooking and Eating:
Exercise:
Body Image:
Mental Health:
