As someone who has been involved in college mental health in three different roles, the author would say those who work in this field inhabit a strange space. College mental health centers are generally seen as somewhat peripheral to the core mission of universities by upper administration. Counseling centers do not reside within academic…

This article reviews important trends in college counseling work over the past 30 years revealed through an annual survey of college counseling center directors. The article also focuses on questions raised in the survey that generated important professional discussions and on other contributions the survey has made to the counseling profession.…

The number of students on university and college campuses that are struggling with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and psychosis across North America is rising (Gallagher, 2008). This intensification of students' psychological needs has become a mental health crisis. The age at which many mental disorders manifest themselves is between 18…

There are numerous factors and concerns to take into consideration when implementing new technology into a counseling center's practice. These factors--informed consent, confidentiality, record-keeping, licensure, technical issues, eligibility, emergencies, and staff perceptions--are legitimate and must be addressed and resolved before…

College campuses across the United States are increasingly challenged to educate psychologically distressed students and to recognize that college student mental health is not only a counseling center issue, but also a campus issue. As such, many colleges and universities are moving toward campuswide prevention efforts designed to help identify…

Suggestions that there is a growing epidemic of suicide among college students in the United States are false. The National Survey of Counseling Center Directors reports 1,404 student suicides over a 14-year period and an adjusted suicide rate of 6.5, half the rate of the general US population (12.6 for all races) during this period when matched…

This article examines the utilization of a university counseling center's services by non-international racial and ethnic minority students via an archival approach. A total of 242 participants were included. Data were examined utilizing ANOVA, bivariate correlation, and chi-square analyses. Results support previous assertions that minority…

This paper describes the activities of the Office of Educational Advising (OEA), located in the U.S. Consulate-General in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The OEA, originally established in 1969, provides counseling to over 7,000 individuals per year who seek information about educational opportunities in the United States. The Fulbright Commission is…

This report examines the needs and resources of educational counseling centers in Brazil that advise individuals about opportunities for undergraduate and graduate education in the United States. A survey of nine counseling offices run by the U.S. International Communication Agency (USICA), U.S. consulates, and American-Brazilian binational…