Ursinus College Counseling Center offers short-term individual and group counseling, referrals, outreach programming, campus trainings and workshops, consultation, and crisis intervention to the members of the college community free of charge.
As the college years often bring demanding challenges which can interfere with students’ academic, social and personal functioning, we strive to help students ameliorate problems and explore their concerns in a safe, welcoming, and confidential environment.
Students are invited to come and speak with our mental health providers about issues of every level of severity, but most commonly present with concerns related to:
Anxiety, Depression
Stress
Adjustment Challenges
Relationship Difficulties
Family Problems
Hopelessness, suicidal thoughts and behavior
Self-injurious behavior
Isolation, loneliness
Eating concerns, body image issues
Identity issues
Cross-cultural issues
Sleep Problems
Self-defeating patterns of behavior, procrastination, internet addiction
Substance Abuse
Perfectionism
Supporting another person’s struggles with any of the above issues
During your initial appointment, you will have the opportunity to talk with a therapist about the concerns that led you to make an appointment. You and your therapist will work with you to identify and clarify your concerns, ask questions about any physical and emotional symptoms you may be experiencing, and gather relevant information. You and your therapist will then collaboratively explore options for addressing your concerns and will then make a plan for further individual or group counseling, additional evaluation, or referral to other services on-or-off campus. You will be asked to complete a confidential general information form when you come to the Counseling Center for the first time, which takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.
The Counseling Center offers confidential short-term individual counseling during which you and your therapist will talk about ways to address your concerns and help you find relief from the concerns that led you to seek help. Some students find that their concerns and symptoms remit quickly and that they need to meet only a few times, while others are best served by meeting more consistently or by working with a clinician to find a longer term counseling referral in the outside community.
Group therapy offers students a unique opportunity to meet other students with similar concerns in a safe and confidential space. Groups can be particularly beneficial as students often feel isolated and alone in their feelings and struggles. In group therapy, students can share their problems and feel understood, supported, and challenged by their peers. We offer a variety of topic-focused groups as sustained by student interest and participation which vary by semester. Common groups include: Mindfulness Skills, Grief / Bereavement Support, Anxiety Management, Sexual Assault Support, Transgender Support
If you require services beyond the scope of what we can provide, we will refer you to other resources within the community who are well-acquainted with the Ursinus and in the community. We also recommend that you contact your insurance company for additional information about your benefits and coverage.
If you are seeing a therapist and in the course of your work together it appears that a psychiatric consultation or use of medication might be appropriate for you, the therapist will discuss this with you and recommend scheduling an appointment with our medical director or a psychiatric consultation off-campus.
We offer consultation and advice for all Ursinus students, friends, family, faculty and staff who may be concerned about a student. You can consult with a therapist by arranging an appointment through our administrative assistant at 610-409-3100. A therapist can help sort out your concerns; explore strategies such as how to speak with someone who may be having psychological issues or how to make a referral to the Counseling Center; and provide information about other resources in the college community. Please keep in mind that while we are usually able to keep the source of information confidential, if the concerns raised during a consultation involve the immediate safety of a student or the campus community, we will follow-up as needed.
We provide psycho-educational programs and workshops on a variety of mental health topics, based on the needs of the campus community. Examples include staff members participating in RA training sessions and orientation programs, providing stress management programs, eating disorders presentations, and depression screenings. Please contact the Counseling Center if you have questions or would like to request a Counseling Center presence at your events.
