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Counseling Services is currently remote. |
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Fall and Spring Semester: |
Monday-Thursday, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM |
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Fridays, 9:30 AM-5:00 PM |
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Summer: |
See our Summer Hours |
Students at Winthrop University may face problems of living that interfere with academic, social, and emotional adjustment. Counseling Services staff will treat these students based on a time-limited counseling and skill enhancement approach. The practical goal of time-limited counseling in a university counseling center is to reduce the amount of time clients must wait to see a counselor, to facilitate a timely return to adequate functioning, and to refer as many long-term issues to outside resources as possible.
It is beyond Counseling Services' scope of practice to provide ongoing counseling and psychotherapy for students whose needs cannot be accommodated within such a model (such as serious, long-term psychiatric conditions, and individuals who appear to be a recurring high risk to themselves or to the Winthrop community). These students are referred into the community as are those whose needs require a particular type of expertise that is not found in Counseling Services.
Counseling Services does not provide treatment services for alcohol or drug use/abuse. Counselors will meet with students seeking such treatment for a brief time to provide support, assess the students' needs, and assist them with referrals to off-campus resources. Additionally, Counseling Services does not provide counseling that is mandated as a condition of Pre-Trial Intervention.
Counseling Services staff members do not write letters in support of Emotional Support Animals (ESAs). We maintain this stance in keeping with recommendations from the American Counseling Association’s guidance against working outside of professional competency. At this time, there are no counselors on staff who have specialized training in the human-animal bond necessary to make an educated recommendation about an ESA.
The information a student shares with a counselor is not provided to anyone without the student's written consent. Legal limitations are placed on the student's right to confidentiality if a counselor suspects there is clear and imminent danger to the student or to others, in cases of current child abuse or neglect, or if ordered by a court of law to testify or provide counseling records. Please see the complete confidentiality policy for further information. If a client needs his or her counselor to release protected health information, he or she may complete the Protected Health Information Disclosure Form under the guidance of his or her counselor.
In individual counseling, a student meets one on one with a counselor over several sessions. While your counselor may want to see you weekly for a time or two, most of the time sessions occur every 2-3 weeks. Depending on your counselor's style of therapy, the session is spent talking, reviewing your week, discussing your symptoms, and finding new ways to understand your relationships, ways of thinking, and ways of taking care of yourself. Often, a counselor will teach new skills for improving different areas of life as well. Counseling at Winthrop is short term, which means we can meet for 8-12 sessions per academic year (May - May). Why Seek Counseling?
Group Counseling is a very effective way to learn new skills and improve relationships. Most group participants feel a little nervous at first talking to several new people about their personal lives, but they quickly realize that others experience many of the same thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Group is a very supportive and safe environment to try new ways of interacting and practice coping skills. Current Group Offerings
Counseling Services is pleased to offer high-quality self-help modules through a program called TAO. TAO offers tools and educational materials to learn new mental health related life-skills. Self-help modules are free and confidential. Learn more about TAO by clicking here.
Counselors are available to present to groups about a variety of mental health related topics from information about depression and anxiety to healthy relationships. As our schedules are often full for 2-3 weeks, we need at least 2 weeks notice. That way we can make sure we are available and have time to get ready for the program. Request Outreach Programming
The Case Manager Intern is available to help students who have practical health-related needs beyond psychotherapy. These needs may include information and assistance in acquiring health insurance, care coordination, housing, hospital after-care, etc. The case manager can also help teach basic stress-management skills and facilitate check-in appointments between regularly scheduled counseling sessions. Request an appointment with the Case Manager Intern.
