College is a period of great personal growth. Among students’ challenges are: separating from family, becoming self-sustaining adults, building satisfying friendships, negotiating conflict, making responsible decisions, clarifying values, and establishing an individual identity. Many students make use of counseling to assist them with their personal development. The counseling process helps students learn more about themselves, identify coping strategies, and emerge with enhanced self-confidence.
The University Counseling Center provides services that help students function optimally with regard to emotional, academic, social and psychological issues.
Who Uses the Counseling Center
Most students using the Center are free of any mental illness. Our staff is experienced in supporting students through the normal developmental challenges of their current life stage. The Center is well used by our student leaders and academically most talented students. For students who encounter a more difficult condition such as depression, anxiety, panic, or disordered eating, the staff is also experienced in diagnosis, crisis intervention, and treatment of these conditions. Services are available to all students currently taking classes toward a degree.
Location
Room 206, Health Services Building , (610) 519-4050. The building is located at the Main entrance to campus, from Ithan Road, across from the Pavilion and the Business School.
Cost
All services are free of charge to current students.
Scheduling Appointments
Appointments are scheduled by phone or in person Monday through Friday between 9:00am and 5:00pm. There is usually less than a 3 day wait for an appointment, and students can be seen the same day if necessary.
Confidentiality and Privacy
All contacts with the Counseling Center are confidential, except in situations where laws or ethics require notification of a family member.
The Counseling Center does not release any information regarding whether a student has used our services nor matters discussed in counseling. Except under certain specific circumstances, no parent, dean, faculty member, or other student can get access to information about you without your permission. Here are the exceptions:
- A student who has used our services may authorize us to release records or to disclose information to anyone the student chooses. We have a consent form you will need to request to sign.
- If the psychologist believes that there is danger to self or others, safety considerations will prevail, and the psychologist will notify appropriate family members or other authority. Such disclosure is for the purpose of providing the necessary care and protection of the student.
- In very rare circumstances, the court may order the release of confidential information.
All counselors receive clinical supervision within the Center. A student may grant permission for a counselor to audiotape or videotape a session for the counselor to review with a supervisor.
