College and university counseling centers have maintained core practices of advanced scheduling, thorough psychosocial assessment before treatment, and traditional 50-minute psychotherapy sessions since their inception in the mid-late 1900s. This approach has become challenged in the current university mental health landscape, which has seen a…

This article describes the design and implementation of an embedded therapy dog program through the counseling center at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. This program involves having a certified therapy dog present in the counseling center, in the waiting area, during counseling appointments, and during group therapy. It is discussed the…

Directors of color at college counseling centers face many challenges. In this article, three directors of color will describe the issues they face on a daily basis working in predominantly white institutions to illustrate how racial identities intersect with leadership. Included among the dynamics explored are the external pressures of…

When determining how best to help reduce the distress that exists among today's college students, it is believed that proactive, on-campus programming is a beneficial supplement to on-campus resources that are often utilized after concerns already exist. Helping students develop resiliency skills is one proactive measure that is believed to…

College counseling centers are experiencing a surging in demand for services that is unaccompanied by an equivalent growth in resources. A possible solution to this disparity is the adoption of a service paradigm founded on ultra-brief therapies, episodic treatments, and the walk-in model of mental health delivery. These models fit both the…

The authors outline a four-factor model and philosophy for college mental health services that addresses the loss of comprehensiveness in some centers due to changes in organizational structure. Given research on demand for services and retention of those seen in centers, emphasis is placed in particular upon the value of consultation, outreach,…

Administrative writing is a crucial skill needed for the counseling center professional to be able to transmit knowledge and values for the rest of the campus community. This article highlights both conceptual and technical aspects of effective writing.

In this article, Georgetown University Counseling and Psychiatric Service director Philip Meilman discusses two distinct emerging pressures faced by directors of college and university counseling centers. The first of these is the pressure to provide more of, and an increasing range of, counseling and psychiatric services. The second is related:…

University Counseling Centers (UCCs) experience high clinical demands and severe client presentations leaving counselors with limited time and resources to evaluate delivery of services. In this article, we present clinician-friendly quality improvement (QI) strategies used at a large Midwestern university and provide recommendations for…

College students may be misdiagnosed as personality disordered when in fact their problems are better explained by their upbringing. Growing up with a personality disordered parent may cause them to initially present with what appear to be personality disordered traits due to issues such as not learning adequate coping skills. Accurate diagnosis…

This article identifies what student mental health professionals need to know about legal issues of relevance to threat assessment and management. The article summarizes the common law duties and the common law and statutory standards of care that are likely to apply to the work of college and university threat assessment and management teams. The…

College career centers provide a valuable resource to students faced with choosing a major, learning about different career fields, and securing internships and jobs. Career centers must provide an increasingly sophisticated array of one-on-one and virtual services in order to meet the needs of students and recruiters. Collaborations between the…

Counselors who work in a college environment are aware that financial aid is available to help students with college costs, but they may not be aware of all the financial pressures on students that may influence a student's psychological well-being. This article gives an overview of financial aid programs and financial factors affecting students,…

Counseling centers need to be engaged and connected on their campuses, both to individuals and to multiple systems of students, faculty, and staff. Building a campus-wide "community of caring" or "web of caring" is essential to a strong, healthy, and vibrant counseling center. This article describes one university counseling…

Current technology provides counseling center clinicians regular and immediate access to the students they work with via social networking. Focusing on Facebook in particular, this article discusses the opportunities and challenges this access creates and specifically explores how utilization of ethical, clinical, and cultural lenses might affect…