
Welcome to Mental Health Counseling Services at 91香蕉视频在线.
Mental Health Counseling Services provides a safe, confidential, non-judgmental space where students can feel free to explore a wide variety of concerns and issues. Using a Stepped Care* model, we offer a variety of services to meet the individual needs of all 91香蕉视频在线 students. We are here to help students maintain and develop their emotional well-being and achieve their educational and personal goals. We promote a healthy and inclusive community through relationship-building, education, crisis intervention and support. All Mental Health Counseling Services are offered free of charge to enrolled students. In addition, self-help resources are available to assist students in understanding and addressing common concerns at their own pace.
Mental Health Counseling Services is here to help, our number one goal is YOU!
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Individual Counseling
Individual Counseling
Individual counseling (sometimes called psychotherapy, talk therapy, personal counseling, or treatment) is a process of helping a person overcome problems by working one-on-one with a licensed mental health clinician in a safe, caring, and confidential environment. Counseling helps students who are struggling with issues such as:
- Anxiety (social, test, and generalized)
- Stress and feeling overwhelmed
- Difficulty adjusting to college
- Time management
- Irritability
- Depression
- Grief/loss
- Self-esteem
- Identity
- Interpersonal conflict
Our brief, individualized, stepped care model of counseling, strives to provide students with ample opportunities to:
- develop greater insight and self-understanding
- identify and solve problems
- reduce emotional distress
- improve cognitive, emotional, academic, and social functioning
- explore and understand cultural and other identities
What Can You Expect at Your First Appointment?
- Please arrive 10–15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to complete intake paperwork. This information will help your counselor prepare for the session.
- Your counselor will explain their commitment to confidentiality along with exceptions to confidentiality.
- The first meeting will primarily be an information gathering session, so that you and your counselor can decide the best way to assist you with your concerns.
- You can anticipate being asked to share information about the reason for your visit, history, as well as goals for counseling.
- The session will last 30–45 minutes.
- Many people experience some initial relief as they begin the process of counseling. However, it is not uncommon to experience some uncertainty, especially if you are going to counseling for the first time.
- During your first appointment, you and your counselor will develop a treatment plan that best meets your unique needs. Using a Stepped Care Model, your plan may include referrals to appropriate resources that work best to give optimal support.
- To maximize your time, we ask that your limit the use of phones or other devices during the session.
- If you are unable to attend your appointment, we ask that you notify us as soon as possible so that we might open that time for another student.
- If you miss more than two appointments, without calling to cancel or rescheduling, you will need to communicate with the Director of Mental Health Counseling before scheduling an additional appointment.
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Group Counseling
Group counseling is a form of psychotherapy that involves more than two participants and covers a variety of topics. People join groups for a variety of reasons (interpersonal concerns and needs; to learn about specific issues and/or their specific cultural identities; referral from individual counselor; curiosity). Groups can range from open groups to closed groups. MHCS will have both open and closed groups. Unless noted as peer-led, most groups will be facilitated by a MHCS Counselor or Graduate intern.
Some of the benefits of participating in group counseling include:
- Understanding that you are not alone in your thoughts and concerns
- Receiving new perspectives of viewing your situation and circumstances
- Becoming clearer in how you interact with others; what do you do well and what would be helpful to change
- Learning new interpersonal skills that will help you to communicate more effectively in your personal relationships
- Being able to offer assistance to others who are dealing with similar concerns
If you would like to participate in group counseling, please email Counseling Services at counseling@howardcc.edu.
*Stepped Care provides a framework for the care of individuals with mental health concerns that uses limited resources to their greatest effect on a population basis. Stepped Care requires treatments of differing intensity. Stepped Care interventions offer a variety of treatment options to match the intensity of the patient’s presenting problem as well as potential patient preference. This model is founded on the following beliefs:
- People should not have to wait for psychological service.
- Different people require different levels of care.
- Finding the right level of care often depends on monitoring outcomes.
- Moving from lower to higher levels of care based on client outcomes often increases effectiveness.
Join Dragon Talk for a special episode dedicated to Mental Health Awareness Month, featuring an insightful interview with Natalie Williams, the Mental Health Counseling Director at 91香蕉视频在线.
Connect with resources and support systems available on campus, and focus on the importance of prioritizing well-being during your college journey.