Access to Care During a Pandemic or Shelter-in-Place Orders
Teletherapy improves access to care during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing patients to continue their therapy and mental health treatment remotely.
Individual Counseling
Counseling can help individuals work through many personal life challenges in a supportive and confidential setting. College years are an exciting time in a student's life, but also they can be stressful and confusing. Worry and anxiety, dating and relationship issues, depression, substance use/abuse, sexual identity among other issues are not always easily managed without support and guidance. Counseling is a way of talking about what is on your mind with someone who can help you to adopt new skills and ways of looking at situations.
Counseling services in the Mental Health and Wellness Center have been developed to be short-term, utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy. The counseling process starts with an initial intake appointment where we explore goals, discuss resources and determine the best course of treatment. Counseling sessions last 45-50 minutes.
Schedule an Appointment
If you would like to talk to someone and are considering counseling, call (989) 964-7078 or stop by our center at Curtiss Hall 112 to make an appointment.
During your initial appointment, you will be asked to complete Intake Paperwork and a Consent to Treat Agreement. This paperwork helps gathers information about your concerns and helps us place you with the right clinician. The intake counselor will gather additional information from you, get a clearer picture of your needs, and begin to plan with you the most appropriate course of action. At times, this could involve individual therapy, a referral to group therapy, an on-campus resource, or a community mental health provider who may better serve your needs.
Please note, the intake counselor may not be the same clinician you will see in your counseling sessions. However, once you begin counseling you will continue with the same clinician.
Teletherapy Services
Teletherapy, also known as online therapy, e-therapy, or video therapy, is therapy delivered through a virtual platform via a computer. If you’ve ever used FaceTime or Skype, it’s essentially the same thing – except more secure and with a qualified clinician at the other end instead of a friend or relative.
How Do Online Therapy Sessions Work?
Teletherapy sessions work much the same way as traditional therapy sessions with only one significant difference – the therapist and the client are not in the same room. At the MH&WC we utilize a platform called Doxy Me which is confidential. After completing the Initial Paperwork, a link will be e-mailed to the student to click before the scheduled appointment. The student waits in the virtual waiting room until the clinician lets them in, just like a regular session. Sessions also last the same time as a face-to-face visit, between 45-50 minutes. Many treatments, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness interventions, translate well into a digital format despite the therapist and client not being co-located.
The Many Benefits to Teletherapy
Flexibility During Times of Illness or Other Limiting Factors
Individuals with mobility issues, whether permanent disabilities or a temporary condition, may not be able to travel, teletherapy provides for flexibility and continuity of care.
Flexibility in Time and Place
Students who have exclusively online classes can also partake in online therapy, allowing many individuals to continue their course of therapy regardless of schedules, circumstances or other issues.
Continuity and Consistency
Continuity and consistency in the therapeutic process is essential to the efficacy of therapy. Students traveling home during the academic year can keep a virtual connection with their clinicians.
Frequently Asked Questions - Counseling Services
Individual counseling services are available to any currently enrolled Saginaw Valley State University student. Services come at no additional cost, are voluntary, and confidential.
Individual appointments are scheduled for 45-50 minutes, group therapy lasts anywhere from 50 to 80 minutes.
Yes, students can call our office at (989) 964-7078 or stop by to schedule an appointment. It is the goal of the Center to offer appointments within a few days, however, student class/work scheduling conflicts, preferred times/dates can make it a challenge to respond with timely appointment openings. Our office will do our best to partner with you to provide the services you need.
Yes, all MH&WC staff are committed to the confidentiality of our clients. It is the policy of the SVSU not to release any information regarding your use of our services or personal matters discussed with your counselor without a signed Authorization to Release form providing written consent from you. This includes appointments and attendance information. For additional information, see Privacy & Confidentiality.
All our clinicians are qualified, licensed professionals. Any graduate social work interns’ practices under the supervision of one of our licensed clinicians. Additionally, our counselors are competent and caring individuals who can participate in continuing education specific to the needs of the campus community.
Although there is no set limit per individual, the MH&WC operates on a short-term, solution-focused therapy model, referrals to outside providers may be appropriate for issues that exceed our scope of care or current resources. Some examples include medication treatment, treatment of eating disorders, and the first episode of psychosis. See our Scope of Services for more detail.
You can talk with a therapist by phone or set up a brief appointment to discuss what is happening with your friend and what you think you might be able to do to help.
If you think it is a crisis, call 911.
Fall & Winter Semesters, the MH&WC is open Monday-Friday, 8;00 am - 4:30 pm with evening hours offered Tuesdays & Wednesdays until 6 pm. The Center is not open on weekends, holidays or when the University campus is closed. In an emergency please dial 911.
CONTACT US.
Campus Mental Health and Wellness Center
Curtiss Hall 112
counselingservices@svsu.edu
(989) 964-7078