What to Expect from Counseling Services

The mission of Averett University (AU) Counseling Services is to assist students in achieving their personal and academic goals through the provision of individual and group counseling services. Services are confidential, enabling students to find resources, solve problems, and make behavioral changes as desired. Students are treated with respect and concerns are addressed in a timely manner.

AU Counseling Services operates according to a short-term treatment model in which the student and the mental health counselor work together to identify and address the student’s primary concerns. The process is goal-oriented and focused on a specific concern. Sessions typically last from 30-50 minutes and depending on availability, are offered weekly or biweekly. In general, students average between 3-6 sessions to reach their goals. Crisis intervention and consultations are offered on an as needed basis.

Some common concerns addressed in counseling include (and are not limited to):

• Generalized and social anxiety
• Mild to moderate depression
• Relationship issues
• Adjustment to college and transitions
• Academic concerns such as test anxiety, perfectionism, and low motivation
• Grief and loss
• Self-care
• Substance Misuse or Abuse
• Stress Management

During the course of therapy, students can expect to become more self-aware. Common goals of mental health counseling are to make positive changes, explore the impact of painful experiences, develop new coping skills and strategies, addressing unhealthy patterns, and reducing stress. While there are no guarantees that mental health counseling will solve your presenting concern, many students have found the services helpful.

Students whose needs cannot be accommodated through short term services or who need a particular type of expertise not found at AU Counseling Services are provided with a referral to a therapist in the community. It is the responsibility of the student to act on the referral provided. The following are factors in determining when students may be referred to a community provider (please note these are general guidelines):

• A need to see a counselor long term or more than once a week
• An absence of coping skills to manage daily stressors
• Multiple or chronic issues that significantly impact mental or emotional functioning
• Inability or unwillingness to identify or comply with treatment recommendations
• Persistent suicidal ideation and/or chronic self-harm behaviors (repeated attempts of suicide)
• Psychotic symptoms (seeing or hearing things that others don’t see or hear)
• Need for psychiatric services exclusively
• Ongoing treatment with another provider
• Significant disorders such as eating disorders, drug and alcohol issues
• Assessments for learning disorders, housing, employment, emotional support animals, etc.
• Services for pre-adjudicated and/or court mandated mental health treatment or assessment
• Exhibiting inappropriate, harassing, threatening, and/or violent behaviors