The Orientation and Integration Office (GOI – Gabinete de Orientação e Integração) works to support FEUP students and to promote their well-being and academic success.

The team

• Helena Lopes
• Fernanda Mendes
• Matilde Carvalho
• Judite Rodrigues

GOI’s mission and objectives are:

• To promote, coordinate and develop actions that favor the integration and academic success of students
• To provide psychological support to students through specialized psychological intervention, in the form of individual psychological consultation, brief psychotherapy and group psychological intervention
• Providing specialized counselling for students on personal, social, vocational and academic issues
• Promoting the development of attitudes and transversal skills in the personal, interpersonal, social and academic spheres of students, in individual or group interventions
• Collaborating in the identification of Special Educational Needs presented by students, as well as in the establishment of their specific support, and promoting their integration and monitoring
• Encouraging and developing actions and initiatives to promote good practices aimed at establishing conditions of equity in access to knowledge and the inclusion of all students in the academic community
• Organize and/or integrate other actions and projects to promote the well-being, integration, involvement and participation of students in the academic community

GOI provides the following services:

Psychological consultation

This is a confidential individual intervention, more or less prolonged, based on an empathetic and supportive relationship, which allows students to find alternatives and develop strategies for resolving their problems.

This service is free and available to all FEUP students by appointment.

Counseling

This is a service provided by GOI psychologists, aimed at guiding students through more or less specific issues, whether of a personal/academic nature, such as:

• Vocational development / reorientation
• Study planning and organization
• Prescription prevention
• Academic reorganization during/after prescription
• Referral / Screening of requests related to other FEUP and/or UPorto services

This service is free and available to all FEUP students by appointment.

Support for Students with Special Educational Needs

At FEUP, the Orientation and Integration Office is the Support Contact for Students with Special Educational Needs.

Students with SEN must apply for their Status in order to benefit from the support and adjustments to the teaching-learning process appropriate to their needs.

Support and Development Groups

This is a type of psychological intervention, run by a psychologist, which is based on interaction and communication between the members of a carefully organized group, with defined objectives and activities, to promote specific skills and strategies. Sharing common problems and difficulties promotes integration, helps to alleviate the feeling of social isolation that so many university students experience, allows for the construction of richer and more comprehensive solutions, which greatly contributes to the students’ sense of belonging, well-being and the quality of their academic experience.

The sessions are held weekly and last one hour, in person. Students are invited to make a semestral commitment.

Workshops on Integration and Academic Success

These training workshops work on personal, emotional, social and academic skills, with the aim of facilitating the integration process and contributing to the academic success of all students.

This initiative takes place throughout the school year.

Walk-in Hours

A type of service provided by the GOI’s psychologists which aims to give students the opportunity to access a consultation for advice and/or counselling, without the need for an appointment.

The service is available every Wednesday between 2 PM and 3 PM.

Check out the FAQs for more information on this service.