Everyone occasionally feels stressed, angry, depressed, anxious or confused. Often, friends or a relative can help. However, when these problems do not go away or they become overwhelming, counseling can help.
The following problems are commonly reported by college students seeking counseling:
- Drinking too much and/or taking drugs
- Problems with eating or sleeping
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling helpless or hopeless
- Feeling so anxious, afraid or depressed that activities and/or relationships are affected
- Performing poorly at work and/or school
- Physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse
- Fluctuating mood swings
- Low self-esteem
- Having reactions to an event that seems in excess of what might be expected
- Experiencing a crisis or stressful event, such as a death in the family, divorce or breakup
- Thoughts of suicide
- Conflict with a significant other
- Difficulty adjusting to college
What is counseling?
Counseling is a unique, confidential and collaborative relationship between a trained helper and a person seeking help in which both the skills of the helper and the atmosphere created assist people with learning to relate to themselves and others in healthier ways. Although you may handle many things on your own, sometimes a little outside help, accountability, or a different and more objective point of view, can help you with putting your problems in perspective and handle them more effectively.
Individual, couple, and group counseling is available to help students with a variety of personal concerns and/or mental health issues. Students coming to the Counseling Center are usually seeking more effective and rewarding lives by confronting personal problems, skill development issues, faith questions, lifestyle choices, relationship issues, or any concern that is hindering them from being a healthy, happy and productive individual. Many people, including highly successful ones, find significant benefits in counseling. These benefits include increasing self-awareness, maximizing potential, and making the overall college experience more productive and meaningful.
The Counseling Center assists students in coping with difficulties and making the most of opportunities for academic, personal, and spiritual development. The Center’s staff operates within the Student Development Division’s purpose of providing opportunities for students to master increasingly complex development tasks, achieve self-direction, and become independent, productive adults. While the Center’s counselors are licensed professionals and respect the values of all clients, the worldview of the University’s Counseling Center staff is Christian.
Counseling services are available to all full-time traditional track students at no additional cost. Referral and emergency services are also available for evening and part-time students at no cost. For more information about services or the counseling staff, and to schedule an appointment, contact the Counseling Center at 864-622-6078.