Counseling Service Offered

• Brief strength-based personal counseling
• Relationship counseling
• Campus community education
• Psychiatric evaluation and stabilization
• Consultations
• Referrals

Personal counseling promotes self understanding and provides an opportunity to learn to make better decisions, improve one's relationships, and generally increase personal effectiveness. As college counselors, we focus on developmental issues and follow a brief therapy model. Short-term solution-focused therapy is an approach to counseling that is brief and effective. Research shows it to bring about lasting change on average in less than 5 sessions and in up to 83% of the cases. It can be brief because it is future-focused and because it works with the strengths of the students. This treatment model makes the best use of the students' resources. It can bring about lasting change precisely because it aims to build solutions rather than solve problems.

Counseling sessions may be spaced out so you rarely need more than ten sessions. For students with more chronic, long-term or in-depth psychotherapy needs, we will facilitate referrals to practitioners in the community.

Relationship counseling is also offered. At least one partner must be a full time registered SMCM student. Similar to individual counseling, relationship counseling also follows our short-term approach. If the couple requires on-going or longer term treatment, we will facilitate referrals to practitioners in the community.

Stress management services include time management and study skills, basic relaxation techniques, biofeedback, helping to identify stressful patterns of thinking, guided imagery, and self-hypnosis.

Campus community education is offered for residence halls, student groups, and leadership training. Upon request, we can plan specific presentations of interest to particular organizations or individuals. We invite you to contact us at extension 4289 (240-895-4289) for information and to discuss the needs of your group. We are also available as trainers for campus activities such as new-student orientation, leadership training, staff and faculty development programs, and as guest lecturers in the classroom.

Crisis intervention: During weekdays, call our office at ext. 4289. In case of an EMERGENCY after hours, call your Resident Assistant, or call Public Safety at ext. 4911 (240-895-4911). One of the counselors or the student affairs on-call person will be contacted for you. You can also call the Walden/Sierra 24-hour Crisis Hotline at 301-863-6661.

If you are sexually assaulted, go immediately to the Emergency Room and ask for the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. You will not be required to press charges, even if a file is initiated and you are examined and treated.

Psychiatric evaluation and stabilization is offered for full-time students in distress who may need a psychiatric evaluation. Psychiatric evaluations must be referred through one of the College counselors. The number of sessions with the psychiatrist is limited to medical stabilization. After that, follow up will need to be arranged through your own medical plan.

Consultations and Referrals are available to students, families, faculty, and staff who may be concerned about a student, friend or loved one. See: For Faculty, Family, and Friends. Counseling Services staff are bound by limits of confidentiality when participating in consultations. We also have a list of local mental health referrals available in our office.