Counseling Services

Students come to us with all kinds of concerns. Some might be having a conflict with a friend, roommate, or partner. Others may be struggling with the adjustment to college. Others still may be feeling down or anxious or having some other kind of distressing feeling. Some students may have been in counseling in the past and are looking to continue that work. Some other common concerns that bring people to counseling are:

Making friends and establishing a social life
Time management
Managing greater responsibility for your own learning
Concerns about the future
Relationship problems and break-ups
Financial problems
Life after college
Worried about things at home
Illness in the family
A troubled sibling/ family member
Death of a family member, friend or pet
Recent or past sexual trauma
Alcohol  or other drug use
Gambling problems
Homesickness

No, insurance is not needed when you receive counseling services on campus.

We are open Monday through Friday from 8:30AM to 4:30PM. We are generally closed for services when class is not in session (i.e., winter break, holidays, etc.).

Many people feel nervous about their first counseling appointment. Your counselor understands that it may be hard to talk to someone you don't know about your personal problems. It might help you to feel less nervous if you know what to expect on your first visit.

When you get to the counseling center office, you will be greeted by the receptionist.  You should plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early to fill out some paperwork and read some information about the counseling center and your rights as a client. When you are finished with your paperwork you should give it back to the receptionist and she will call your counselor to let them know you are ready.

Your counselor will come to the office to meet you and escort you to their office. Your counselor will probably begin by telling you about him or herself. Then she/he will discuss your rights as a client and issues of confidentiality.

After that, the counselor will probably ask you to describe why you came for counseling. The counselor may ask questions about all the different parts of your life in order to get to know you more and to understand how the problem fits into and/or affects other areas of your life. Don't worry, the counselor can take the lead in this part of the conversation and help you to explain why you are there.

It is important to understand that you and your counselor are partners in understanding and working on your problem. If there's something you want your counselor to know but she/he hasn't asked yet, feel free to offer the information. If you have questions or concerns about counseling or any other issue, it is important to ask. The better you can communicate your worries or needs to your counselor, the better your counselor will be able to respond to your concerns or needs.

At the end of the first meeting, you and your counselor will together develop some goals for counseling. Its helpful to discuss some goals for counseling so that you and your counselor are on the same page and understand what you want to accomplish in counseling. The counselor may then make recommendations about how they feel you could best achieve your goals, which may include short-term individual counseling at the counseling center, group counseling, referral for more evaluation or treatment by a specialist in your area, or a consultation with a health professional about medication.

Yes. Some men may think that counseling is not for them or cannot help them, but that is untrue. Many men have been taught to think that it is weak to talk about problems or to need some kind of help. However, coming to counseling is not all about weakness and having problems. Many people use counseling to strengthen themselves and develop new coping skills. When scheduling a first appointment, you can request a male counselor who can help you become accustomed to counseling.

This depends on the student and the problem at hand. After meeting with you, your counselor will discuss with you your treatment recommendations, which are tailored to you and your particular set of circumstances. Some students see a counselor for one or two sessions and others are here for a little longer. In general, the counseling center works with a short-term, solution-focused model. Most students who use our services report feeling better within 4-5 sessions. Once you start counseling, you are not obligated to continue, but we would encourage you to discuss those feelings with your counselor.

Yes! The counseling staff can help you to make positive changes in your life, based on established and well-researched therapy techniques. Sometimes, just having someone to listen to you can be very helpful. However, going to counseling does not necessarily guarantee that your problems will go away. A lot of this depends on you. Regular attendance, a commitment to making changes in your life, and thinking about your sessions afterward help counseling work. If you feel like counseling is not helping you or not helping enough, talk to your counselor about this. You can both discuss how to make counseling more effective.

You are free to tell anyone whatever you want about counseling, but the counseling staff will not share this information with anyone without your express written permission. Sometimes students give us this permission so that we can confirm counseling attendance with professors or parents or if they are seeing another therapist in the community, so that everyone involved in the student's care has the relevant information.

Medication for issues such as depression, anxiety, and other mental health diagnoses can sometimes be an important part of treatment. The Wellness Center for Health and Counseling can refer students to off-campus resources such as a Psychiatrist, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner or even a Primary Care Provider if they do not already have one. If you are interested in medication, please let your counselor know. These providers can prescribe medication if necessary, and follow up regularly.

That's fine. Just call us at (315) 445-4195 to reschedule. We ask that you give us as much notice as possible if you need to cancel, so that your appointment time can be given to another student who may want to be seen.