Counseling is a means of facilitating personal growth and development through a cooperative effort between a student and a clinician. It helps individuals cope more effectively with phase of life transitions, inner conflict, negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Counseling can provide encouragement and comfort to those who are struggling with mental health issues and guidance to those whose behaviors are self-defeating.
Intervention or direct care includes individual, couples, and group counseling. These services are available 8 am–5 pm Monday through Friday. Our counselors specialize in a variety of disorders and utilize different treatment modalities to assist students struggling with, but not exclusive to, stress, anxiety, depression, disordered eating, grief, trauma, identity, and cultural struggles.
Crisis Intervention is available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Same day, walk-in appointments are available each day and determined by need. After hours, we have a clinician on call to provide suicide and risk assessments and determine safety plans for students.
Prevention includes ways to increase mental health awareness and opportunities to engage in healthy coping skills strategies. As we provide more preventative programs to students, we hope to promote good mental health practices, decrease crises, and engage students who might be reluctant to seek counseling. This includes mental health workshops on a variety of topics including transition and anxiety, mental wellness practices, stress and time management, healthy relationships and boundaries, and communication. Prevention care also includes opportunities to learn and engage in de-stress techniques that include body movement, mindfulness, and breathing techniques.
Several therapy dogs visit campus on a regular basis throughout the week. Please watch for announcements and posts on Instagram (@tucounseling) for details. We have a Grounding Room located in the Academic Enrichment Center in the Zondervan Library that is a quiet space that students can use to decompress and regulate their thoughts and emotions.