And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. ~ Anais Nin
Short-Term Goal Oriented Counseling Services
We provide several forms of brief counseling services including individual, couples, and group. Individual and couples counseling involves meeting with a counselor for approximately 45-50 minutes. You and your counselor determine how frequently both of you will meet. It is common for students to meet with a counselor weekly, but many meet every other week or even once a month. Due to high demand and limited resources, you’ll work together with your counselor to try to achieve limited goals in a short period of time. If long-term or specialized services are most appropriate we may refer you to a more appropriate service off-campus.
Group Counseling
Group counseling involves meeting with approximately 5-8 other students on a weekly basis. Group meetings generally last for about an hour and a half and are often led by two counselors. Groups are an excellent vehicle for students who have concerns with shyness, fear of rejection, assertively expressing themselves, feeling anxious around others, and have difficulty communicating. As a result, this is an opportunity for a student to experiment with different ways of expressing her/himself, receive feedback from others on how they perceive her/him, receive support and encouragement, and offer support to the other group members.
Groups address a variety of student needs: women's experiences, men's experiences, body image & eating disorders, enhancing relationships, trauma and abuse recovery, self-esteem, stress management, GLBT support and substance abuse among others. See the current semester group schedule for more information.
Additional Services
Consultation Services
Faculty, staff or students who desire professional consultation regarding concerns about others may make an appointment. At various times this option has been utilized by clubs, teams, groups of roommates or friends, as well as individuals. Our staff will talk with you about your concerns, offer you our professional view of the situation, and make recommendations when appropriate.
Psychiatric Services
If you have been referred to consult with our psychiatrist for further assessment and treatment recommendations they will work closely with our staff to devise a comprehensive treatment plan which ideally will assist you in addressing the issues that brought you to counseling. Psychiatric appointments are scheduled one day each week during fall and spring semesters. As an enrolled Western student, you are eligible for assessment and follow-up sessions. All appointments with the psychiatrist will be charged to your health insurance.
Emergency Services
All WCU students are eligible for emergency services (crisis services), whether or not they are currently using our counseling services. If a student receives emergency services, they are encouraged (and sometimes required) to follow-up with a CPS counselor as directed. As we do not operate as a crisis center, we try to ensure proactive care and follow-up that is sensitive to the student's needs.