Your Guide to Chatham's Counseling Center
With the end of the school term approaching, the pandemic stretching into 2021, and the pressures of life in general, general life, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed, stressed, and in need of a listening ear. Fortunately, Chatham’s Counseling Center is here for you, with regular hours, compassionate staff, and many offerings to help you feel supported. In this post, we’ll walk you through the process of scheduling a session with the Counseling Center, what to expect on your first visit (or virtual session), and some tips for making the most of this helpful resource.
What is the Counseling Center?
The entrance to the Counseling Center, located in Woodland Hall
Our mental health professionals at the Counseling Center offer a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space available to all registered students during the academic semesters at no charge.
The Counseling Center is open for virtual appointments and in-person appointments. They have HIPAA-compliant Zoom accounts for secure, confidential, and private teletherapy for students located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For in-person offerings, head to the back of Woodland Hall’s ground floor, between the book store and the Health Center.
Offerings for full-time students include:
Crisis Walk-in Services:
Normally an appointment is required to meet with a counselor. However, when a student is in distress and needs to speak with a counselor urgently, walk-in services are available during regular office hours. Students who are currently in treatment with an external mental health professional are strongly encouraged to contact their treatment team in times of crisis for continuity of care.
Intake Assessments:
Intake assessments are provided to thoroughly evaluate the nature of difficulties a student presents. This assessment includes a thorough personal and family history to identify patterns, strengths and resources, and areas for growth.
Individual Counseling:
Short-term individual counseling and brief psychotherapy is available to students experiencing personal, social, family, or academic concerns. Brief counseling sessions provide an opportunity to freely explore these issues.
Individual counseling can be either Solutions Focused therapy or Brief Dynamic therapy. Solutions Focused therapy supports student wellness by addressing specific, contained challenges like changing lifestyle habits, academic challenges like procrastination or test-taking anxiety, learning new skills, and more. A course of care might be 4-6 sessions. Brief Dynamic therapy is for students to deeply and dynamically explore how to resolve the difficulties that interfere in their lives and relationships. A course of care might be 8-10 sessions.
Consultation:
Students who have questions about their mental health, who have recently received a higher level of mental health care, or who would like to have a discussion about mental health and mental health care with another group, department, or individual on campus may receive support from the Counseling Center to coordinate their care and engagement with the campus community.
Referrals:
Appropriate recommendations for specific evaluations and referrals from the medical and mental health community are provided when long term care, specialized treatment, and/or medication is needed.
Part-time students are eligible for crisis walk-in services, intake assessments, consultation and referrals in the community as well.
Sign Up:
To schedule an appointment with the Counseling Center, call 412-365-1282 or email counselingcenter@chatham.edu. Fall and spring term office hours are 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Not sure what to say? We get it— it can be daunting to take that first step and ask for help. While every individual contacts the Counseling Center for different reasons, here are a few talking points to get you started, based on what the Counseling Center staff need to know to schedule an appointment:
Your name
A good phone number to reach you
A brief description of why you’re seeking help from the Counseling Center (“I’m anxious” or “I’m totally overwhelmed by my school work” or “I am not sure what I need but I’m hurting, worried, stressed”)
Days and times you are available
If you are having suicidal thoughts and need help right away, please call resolve Crisis Services at 1-888-7-YOU-CAN (796-8226)
Your First Appointment:
Again, every individual’s experience will be different, but here’s what you can expect from your first appointment with the Counseling Center. The Counseling Center uses the Flexible Care Model (FCM) of treatment, which is intended to provide faster access to support with more flexibility in follow-up care. FCM differs from traditional outpatient therapy in that there are same-day appointments available to schedule, two appointment lengths, and varied follow-up options. In the Flexible Care Model, even the first session is focused on providing some resolution to the problem a student shares or a step towards meeting a student's goals. The first appointment, called a concise appointment, is 30 minutes long, focuses on whatever the student needs most, and does not commit the student to ongoing therapy.
During the intake process, a student may be asked some of the questions below in order to determine the best course of care to address the reason for the visit:
What’s bothering you?
Have you tried to solve the problem or feel better in the past?
How is your sleep, appetite, activity level (since sometimes we experience distress in our bodies)?
How are your relationships going? Are they a source of stress or support?
How is the problem you’re experience impacting your courses? Your relationships? Your self-confidence?
With these offerings, the Counseling Center can help you find solace and solutions for the for the problems we all face.
Explore the Counseling Center’s offerings on MyChatham here. Try the new peer-to-peer support platform TalkCampus, where peers and professionals are available 24/7. If you’re in crisis, please call your local crisis number, 911, or resolve Crisis Services at 1-888-7-YOU-CAN (796-8226).
