Community Social Services (CSS) students at the University of Guelph-Humber had the chance to strengthen their counselling skills firsthand through a compelling new initiative for the Winter 2026 semester.
Fourth-year students stepped into the role of counsellor during “Sim Lab” – a hands-on learning experience that brought theory to life. Working with a simulated patient portrayed by an actor, students practiced counselling skills and received immediate feedback from peers and CSS Interim Associate Head Lindsay Van Dekerkhove. The lab offered a valuable opportunity to build confidence and refine practical skills before entering the workforce.
“It’s going to help me when I go into the field, especially since now I have physical experience that I can look back on, how I felt and what I leaned about myself as a practitioner and personally,” CSS student Sabrina Godinez said of her experience.
For each lab, students signed up to be an interviewer (counselling role) or an observer (feedback role). The morning of Sim Lab, the students were presented with the case they’d be working on during the simulation, and they were able to reflect, strategize, and plan before engaging with the mock patient.
During the session, each student interviewer had 15 minutes with the mock patient, then they received constructive feedback from Van Dekerkhove, the peers in the role of observers, and even the actor from a patient’s perspective. Students were able to pause at any time during the simulation if they needed assistance.
When asked about her favourite part of Sim Lab, Godinez said it was receiving feedback. At first, it felt daunting to be observed by the group, but as the simulation went on, Godinez became more comfortable as the space felt emotionally safe, she explained.
“[The feedback] was really helpful for us because it gave us so many avenues of thinking besides our own,” she said.
The Sim Lab allowed Godinez to feel better prepared to succeed during her field placement at a youth drop-in centre and to eventually enter the workforce. She aspires to become a crisis intervention clinical social worker in a hotline setting, so developing strong communication and counselling skills are paramount for success.
“Regardless of the nature of where you are going to be working for your practicum, I think these skills are widely used in counselling practice [and beyond],” she said. “This exercise helped us realize that not every interaction is going to go smoothly.”
The first session of Sim Lab took place in February 2026 and the second in March 2026.
Starting Fall 2026, CSS will be called Social Services and Well-Being Studies (SSWS). To learn more about this exciting update, click here.
