Counseling Services
When You Need Help Juggling Life
Hours: Monday, 9:30-8:00 pm, Tuesday – Wednesday and Friday, 8:30 – 5:30 pm
Thursday, 8:30-8:00 pm
In the course of a lifetime, most of us will experience several personally traumatic incidents. The break up of an important relationship, serious conflict within the family, failing an exam, the death of a friend or family member, an unwanted pregnancy, a serious health problem, or being victimized by a violent act, etc. There is little you can do to make yourself not experience uncomfortable feelings, but there are things you can do to help promote a healthy recovery. We welcome you to contact our office by phone or to come in person to Counseling Services.
Counseling Services is a free, confidential and short-term personal counseling service that provides assistance to currently enrolled students and college employees. It is primarily a self-referred, voluntary program. Our approach is based on an "eight session" model for students and a "three session assess and refer" model for college employees. Counseling Services provides consultation to administrators, faculty and managers who are seeking support to best help a student and/or employees who need to address concerns that may be impacting academic or work life. We are committed to providing an easily accessible, safe and confidential means for identifying and resolving problems. The counselor offers an initial clinical intake and assessment, followed by recommendations for counseling. Upon the counselor’s clinical assessment and personal judgment, a decision is made regarding the appropriateness for short-term counseling. If the student’s issue is appropriate, the student and counselor work together to develop a treatment based on jointly proposed goals. If the assessment indicates a need for long term treatment, the student will be referred to counseling professionals within the community.
Counseling Services’ records are confidential and separate from a student’s academic records. All information about you, even acknowledgement of your visits, is confidential and cannot be released to any other office or individual (even your parents) without your written permission. There are, however, some exceptions to confidentiality. Counselors are required to release certain information in situations, which involve potential harm to yourself or others, in instances of child abuse, elder abuse or neglect, or as a result of a court order. These events are extremely rare. Typically, the only way others would become aware of your seeing a counselor would be if you told them.
The Counseling Release Valve
Most individuals who use Counseling Services are experiencing development concerns and academic pressures that, at times, leave them feeling anxious, confused, angry, lonely, depressed or overwhelmed. Counseling is aimed at helping to understand and manage these stressors. Any personal issues can be discussed in counseling including:
- Emotional concerns impacting academic/anxiety
- Balancing school, work, home, family and personal concerns
- Parenting and child care concerns
- Depression and loneliness
- Stress management
- Domestic violence
- Self-esteem concerns
- Time management
- Crisis intervention/referral
- Grief and loss issues
- Budgeting/financial management
- Life changes and life skills related to emotional well being
- Anxiety about taking a test
- Breaking up
- Fears about talking to a professor
The majority of students at PGCC who have completed counseling state that they feel better and find it helpful to speak with a counselor. In review of their evaluations, most would recommend Counseling Services to others
The Psychological Counseling Process
Typically, counseling services may include one or more of the following stages:
- Assessment
Counselors understand that each person’s psychological experiences are completely unique, and they work closely with their client to understand both the internal experiences as well as environmental contexts. We are committed to helping individuals express their feelings and concerns in a safe, non-judgmental, therapeutic space. Assessment is on going, but the goal of the initial session is to evaluate the nature and level of distress and to recommend treatment options. In order to do this; it is necessary to accumulate an overview of a person’s current and past experience. Generally by the end of the second session, the client and counselor will have developed a plan for treatment.
- Individual Counseling
Following the initial assessment, some clients will opt to pursue short-term individual counseling with Counseling Services staff. Students are entitled to eight individual sessions each year providing that the counselor’s assessment deems it appropriate. Individual counseling gives the client an opportunity to explore issues of concern in a safe, confidential setting on a one-to-one basis with a trained professional.
- Crisis Intervention
Crisis intervention is available to help clients resolve acute personal crisis and provide them with the skills to function and meet the demands of a campus environment. If you believe someone is imminently homicidal or suicidal or if you believe the student is likely to hurt him/herself or someone else, immediately call the Campus Police at 301-322-0666.
- Referral
If you work with or spend time with someone -- as a faculty member or friend, for example -- you are in an excellent position to recognize behavior changes that might characterize a emotionally troubled person. That person’s behavior might even be a cry for help. Your ability to recognize the signs of emotional distress and courage to acknowledge your concerns directly with that individual might even be the most significant factor in their successful problem resolution.
Frequently, faculty and staff refer students to Counseling Services and should use the following guidelines in making referrals. Initially, the faculty/staff member should personally talk to the student and refer him/her to Counseling Services. Faculty/staff frequently call on behalf of the student to schedule an appointment or walk the student over to Counseling Services. The faculty/staff member should assure the student that his/her disclosures will be completely confidential and do not become a part of his/her academic record. To best meet the counseling demand of students/employees the following information is needed:
- Reason for the referral
- A description of your concerns regarding his/her behavior
- Any other information about the client that might be helpful, such personal history
- Follow up/feedback request
- List of local emergency contacts, such as parents or siblings
- Assurance of Counseling Services Strict Policy of Confidentiality
Counseling Services carefully adheres to professional standards of ethics and confidentiality. If a student wishes to have information regarding his/her contact with the Counseling Services released to a third party, he/she must sign a specific written authorization.
In order to provide effective and up to date services, we sometimes consult with colleagues in Counseling Services about our work with students. Otherwise, information revealed in counseling, even the information that you made appointments is not disclosed to others unless you provide written authorization for information to be released. The exceptions to this practice are:
- When a counselor believes you to present an imminent danger to yourself or others.
- When the life or safety of a readily identifiable third person is endangered.
- When a counselor believes that a child or vulnerable adult is being subjected to abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
- When disclosure is made necessary by legal proceedings.
Additional Resources
While Prince George’s Community College recommends the following websites as information resources, it accepts no responsibility for the acceptance, refusal, or quality of care received at the local referrals listed below, nor does this list constitute endorsement of below listed agencies.
Medications
Depression Screening
Counseling Services, Online Screening