Sometimes psychiatric consultation is recommended in addition to ongoing counseling at Counseling & Psychological Services. When a student comes to the Counseling Center with signs indicating that medication may be useful in their treatment, the CPS counselor may request a medication consultation from either our part-time consulting psychiatrist or one of the physicians within the Health Center. If your counseling provider (clinical social worker, psychologist, or professional counselor) suspects that medical factors may be contributing to your problem or that medications might be helpful in alleviating distressing symptoms, you may utilize this medical consultation to identify these factors, including the benefits and possible risks or side effects of medication or other physical health-related contributing factors.

A consulting psychiatrist for the Counseling & Psychological Services Center, and the medical staff within Western’s Health Center provide medication evaluations and consultations, and prescriptions when appropriate. Limited psychiatric services are available during the academic year only; however, your counselor will assist you in identifying other medical providers and/or coordinating care with physicians in your home town.

Summer Services

The Counseling Center will remain open for enrolled students during the summer but will not have a psychiatrist on staff during the summer months. If you are attending summer school and want to see a psychiatrist for medications or prescription renewals, please contact a psychiatrist in the local area or plan on getting your medication needs met by a psychiatrist back home. If you need the names of psychiatrists or other physicians in this area, please contact the Counseling Center; or if you need names of physicians in your home county, please contact the NC Medical Board for a list of physicians. Because it often takes more than a month to get psychiatric appointments, please call now to make a timely appointment during the summer if you anticipate running out of your current medication.