Services

The Counseling Center is an office staffed by professional counselors trained to help you discover ways to cope with problems in living. We support the educational process by assisting students in their academic, personal, and social development. Our staff has a commitment to meeting the needs of individuals from diverse backgrounds including differences of culture, race, gender, ability and sexual orientation.

Appointments

Counseling sessions are scheduled by appointment. To make an appointment, you may visit the Counseling Center in Madison Hall 136, or call 256-824-6203. Students are asked to arrive for their first appointment about 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork. During the first session, a counselor will listen to your concerns and determine which resources at the Counseling Center or elsewhere will best suit your needs.

About Counseling Sessions

Individual counseling sessions are typically scheduled on the hour and last up to 50 minutes. The Counseling Center operates on a time limited model, which means that students are eligible for up to 12 individual sessions per academic year. Counseling can be an opportunity to talk about concerns with an objective person who can help you develop skills and view situations in ways that may enable you to be more effective in managing life's challenges down the road.

Eligibility for Services

Students must be currently enrolled in three or more credit hours to be eligible to receive counseling services. Services at the Counseling Center are all free of charge. Consultation services are provided to parents, faculty, and staff.

Occasionally a student may be referred to another agency for services. For example, if a student needs more sessions than the brief therapy we offer, we will work with the student to facilitate a referral to an outside agency. On occasion a student may have needs that are beyond what our agency is designed to offer. These may include chronic or severe mental health problems, or other conditions that may require close monitoring. In such instances, our staff will facilitate obtaining appropriate treatment and will offer referrals that will better meet the student’s needs.