Navigation

Counseling Services

Decorative Image

Information for Parents

Perhaps your son or daughter has recently started counseling at our Center, or you believe they would benefit from seeking counseling. Below you will find information about Counseling Services we hope will be helpful.

Counseling Services

Counseling Services provides individual, couples, and group therapy to support the academic and personal growth of enrolled students. Our services are free of charge. We use a brief treatment approach and will try to resolve a student’s concerns as quickly as possible, generally in fewer than six sessions. If we believe on-going counseling would be beneficial, or we believe the concerns presented are outside the scope of our service, we will work with students to identify local community resources as well as help them access their health insurance plan

 See Finding a Community Therapist

Confidentiality

Our services are confidential, as governed by the laws of the State of California. If your child is 18 years of age or older, he or she "holds the privilege". This means we require a signed release of information prior to responding to any request for information about your son or daughter -- even whether or not they have been seen in Counseling Services.

Treatment of a minor

If your child is under 18 years of age and seeks counseling in Counseling Services, you will be asked to sign the Consent for Treatment Form. Students who are minors may be seen one time prior to having the consent form signed.

 See Consent for Treatment of a Minor Form

How to Make an Appointment

Students may make an appointment by calling 756-2511 or stopping by our office. We are open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm M-F, located in Bldg. 27. Please be aware we require that students schedule their own appointments.

Treatment of Eating Disorders

We are available to meet with students who believe they might be diagnosed with an eating disorder. Generally, we will assess their concern and make treatment recommendations. In most cases, however, given the severity of many eating disorders and the need for longer-term treatment, we will most likely make a referral for counseling to the community. Eating disorders are generally best treated with a comprehensive team approach that at a minimum includes a therapist, nutritionist, and physician or other health care provider.

Substance Abuse Concerns

Most students will encounter opportunities to drink or use drugs while at college, or may be negatively affected by another student’s substance use. Parental involvement and guidance can influence the decisions and choices your student makes.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the first six weeks on campus are crucial to a first-year student’s academic success. With a great deal of free time, many students initiate heavy drinking or use during these early days of college, thus interfering with successful adaptation to campus life. Common substances students abuse are alcohol, marijuana, prescription medications, and cocaine.

How Parents Can Help

  • Identify your expectations for your student about drinking and drug use. Make sure your expectations are reasonable, well thought out, and convey trust and support. Communicate those expectations before they pack their bags and keep in touch throughout their college career.
  • Let them know about any family history of alcohol and/or drug abuse. The genetic risks for substance abuse can make it hard for students to drink or use in a moderate or controlled way. In addition, they often believe they are too young and too smart to let themselves become dependent on a substance. Willpower cannot override the genetic predisposition to chemical dependency. Young, bright students can and do become chemically dependent.
  • Ask your student about his/her expectations of college and drinking/drug use. Correct those that seem inflated. Many students will come to college with false pretenses, having heard stories from the media, older siblings, and even parents about all the drinking and partying that takes place in college. While many students do drink or smoke, many do so moderately and there are many others who don't use at all. Talk with them about getting involved in activities that don't involve alcohol or drug use. See 101 Ways to Have Fun List
  • Keep the lines of communication open. Make yourself available to them if they need to talk. Try to answer their questions openly and honestly. If they do experience negative consequences of alcohol or drug use, keep an open mind and remain calm, even if they tell you things that are shocking. If you express too much anger or judgment over their behavior, they may not feel comfortable sharing with you in the future. By putting your emotions aside and listening, you may learn a lot that will better prepare you to guide them toward healthier decisions in the future.

At Counseling Services we meet with students on a voluntary basis, as well as those mandated to our Crossroads program due to a violation of campus alcohol and drug policies. Our Alcohol and Drug Specialist, Mary Peracca, MFT, has special expertise in working with students with substance use and abuse issues and has developed a three-session model we find quite helpful in working with students facing alcohol or drug issues.

For more information, please visit The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA):


Readings & Resources

Online

Transition

  • Empty Nest. . .Full Heart:  The Journey from Home to College, Andrea Van Steenhouse (2002).
  • Letting Go:  A Parents’ Guide to Understanding the College Years, Karen Levin Coburn, Madge Lawrence Treeger (2003).
  • She’s Leaving Home:  Letting Go as a Daughter Goes to College, Connie Jones.

Helping Your Student

  • A Parent’s Guide to Sex, Drugs, and Flunking Out:  Answers to the Questions Your College Student Doesn’t Want You to Ask, Joel Epstein (2001).
  • You’re On Your Own (But I’m Here if You Need Me):  Mentoring Your Child During the College Years, Marjorie Savage (2003).

For Students and Parents

  • College Rules!  How to Study, Survive and Succeed in College, Sherrie L. Nist, Jodi Patrick Holschuh, Sherrie Nist (2002).
  • The Ultimate College Survival Guide, Janet Farrar Worthington, Ronald Farrar (1995).
  • Your College Experience:  Strategies for Success, John N. Gardner, A. Jerome Jewler (2004).
  • Chicken Soup for  the College Soul:  Inspiring and Humorous Stories About College, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger, Dan Clark, Jack Canfield (1999).

Bibliography Notes on Transition

  • College Of The Overwhelmed:  The Campus Mental Health Crisis And What To Do About It by Richard Kadison, M.D. & Theresa Foy DiGeronimo, 2004.
  • Don’t Tell Me What To Do, Just Send Money by E. Johnson & Christine Schelhas-Miller, 2000.
  • How To Survive And Thrive In An Empty Nest:  Reclaiming Your Life When Your Children Have Grown by Robert H. Lauer, 1999.
  • When Your Kid Goes To College:  A Parent’s Survival Guide by Carol Barkin, 1999.
  • Almost Grown:  Launching Your Child From High School To College by Patrick Pasick, 1998.
  • Empty Nest, Full Heart:  The Journey From Home To College by Andrea Van Steenhouse & Johanna Parker, 1998.
  • Letting Go:  A Parent’s Guide To Understanding The College Years by Karen Levin Coburn, 1997