The years you spend in college will be exciting and rewarding, but they can also be fraught with stress, anxiety, and challenges. Counseling Services is a place for you to visit when you feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed with those challenges. You can talk to a professional in a completely confidential setting.
Counseling results are more favorable when clients understand what to expect from the process, so we would like to provide some information to assist you in understanding the counseling process. First, it may be helpful to address those areas most misunderstood about counseling.
Counseling is not just for those who suffer from serious psychological problems. Our mission is to assist students in identifying needs in regard to academic achievement, emotional/psychological and physical health, career involvement, and responsible decision making and then to deliver services to empower the student to meet those needs. Thus, we do assist individuals who are suffering from severe emotional distress, such as depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, and self-injurious behavior. We also, however, work with students who have issues of adjustment, and who will benefit from examining a problem and discovering solutions to the problem. Some of those areas might include career indecision, disappointing academic results, loneliness, isolation, or relationship concerns.
Seeking counseling is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it takes courage to explore sensitive feelings and painful experiences. Those who take the first step in resolving problems by seeking counseling indicate insight and inner strength.
The counselor will not give you advice or tell you how to fix your problems. Counseling is not a quick fix, and your counselor will not tell you what you should do. Rather, you will have the opportunity to explore your feelings, values, thoughts, concerns, and develop goals and steps leading to those goals, all the while guided by your counselor. The choices are yours; your counselor's role is to allow you the freedom and time to sort out the options.
Counseling is an opportunity for you to talk over what is on your mind with a trained and objective person who can help you adopt a new perspective on the situation. You'll also learn new skills to help you resolve your current concern and become more capable of solving new problems on your own in the future. Again, we want to emphasize that your appointment in Counseling Services will be completely confidential; the few exceptions to that policy are explained under Declaration of Practices and Procedures.
How do I begin?
Your first step is to make an appointment. You can do that by phoning Counseling Services at 318-257-2488, or by coming by the office in 310 Keeny Hall. A staff member will set an appointment for you, and you do not have to disclose the reason for seeking counseling. If you voluntarily indicate that your concern(s) is related to study skills or career decision making, the staff person will suggest one of several group or workshop options for you. These are typically the most expedient methods to get that kind of assistance. If those are not your issues or if the workshop/group options do not work for you, an appointment will be scheduled for you with either a counselor or counselor-intern. Appointments are scheduled on the hour for about a fifty-minute session. You may wish to come a little early to your first appointment because you will be asked to complete some forms that we call intake forms. At your first session, you and our counselor will discuss the concerns that brought you, and together you will determine which services are appropriate. If your concern is not within the scope of our services, a referral to another agency can be made.
If you are unsure about whether counseling is appropriate for you, phone Counseling Services (318-257-2488) and ask to speak to a counselor. Don't let emotional concerns become barriers to your success as a student or your happiness. Counseling can enhance the quality of your life!
