It may not be easy to decide if you could benefit from the services of the Counseling and Wellness Center since so many people feel like they should be able to handle things on their own, or that an upset or unhappiness may simply get better with time. At the Counseling and Wellness Center we encourage you to come in and at least talk with someone about your concerns and see if counseling might be helpful. We try to provide some education regarding various mental health conditions so that some of the signs and symptoms that are best treated with counseling and psychotherapy are a bit more recognizable. We invite you to simply come in and chat. We welcome your questions and we respect that the decision to come in is entirely your own.
You can call for an appointment (860-297-2415), and our Office Manager, Kate Morrell, will help you set up an appointment. If you believe it is important to be seen quickly, simply tell the Office Manager when you call and she will schedule you as quickly as needed. In an emergency, call Campus Safety at 860-297-2222.
We are located at 135 Allen Place, accessible from the back of the Campus Safety parking lot, on the north side of the Campus.
Want to learn more? Read our FAQ below.
Frequently Asked Questions about counseling:
Psychotherapy is an opportunity to talk with a trained specialist about concerns and issues that may be causing you some stress or other symptoms. Psychotherapy offers the opportunity to identify factors that may be contributing to your difficulties and help you understand what can and cannot be changed or improved. Talking allows you to explore alternative coping strategies, improve your ability to identify problem areas and work on them in a realistic manner. Psychotherapy can help you regain a sense of control by helping you identify areas of weakness that are impeding your progress and utilize strengths that you may not realize you have. Sometimes it can be very helpful to know that you are actually reacting quite normally, even if it does not feel that way to you.
Sometimes it can help to talk things through and realize that you do not have to deal with things on your own. Therapy can provide necessary support, an opportunity to vent and just check out your concerns.
You and your therapist will decide together the frequency of your visits. Many clients come in once per week for a 45 minute session. This is ideal especially when you are trying to establish a relationship. Some clients are only seen once; others are seen once every two weeks. Each case is individual the length and number of sessions really depends on a number of variables.
Therapy is about the relationships that are formed. There is no easy answer to why we feel more or less comfortable with different individuals. Your comfort with the person who is seeing you is very important. If you do not feel like you are able to work with the individual, you are encouraged to explore the reasons why with the therapist in the hopes that issues can be clarified and resolved or you may ask to see a different therapist. No one’s feelings will be hurt!
Medication can be helpful in reducing certain symptoms and is best used in conjunction with therapy. The Counseling and Wellness Center offers consultations with a prescriber when medication seems clinically indicated as a part of treatment and someone is currently seeing a member of the Counseling and Wellness Center staff. If you are currently receiving medication from a doctor in your home town, that person may be able to continue your medication while you are away at college. This is especially true if you are on medication for a learning disorder. But you should feel free to discuss your specific situation with a member of the staff.
Please call (860-297-2415) and speak with a member of the staff, or schedule an appointment with any one of the staff to discuss your questions.
