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Counseling Center
508-626-4640
Mon - Fri 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Have a question we haven't answered below? Please contact us with any and all of your questions and concerns.
1. What is the best way to set up psychological counseling services for my son or daughter?
2. Do counselors call students to encourage them to make an appointment at the Counseling Center?
3. Can the counselor call me to keep me updated on how treatment is going?
4. What if I want to share information about my son or daughter or inquire about how they are doing?
5. How can the Counseling Center help if my student is having serious academic problems?
6. What if a parent, another student, or a faculty or staff member is concerned about a student?
8. What if my son/daughter is having a psychological crisis?
1. What is the best way to set up psychological counseling services for my son or daughter?
The best way for your son or daughter to arrange to be seen at the Counseling Center is to have him/her call or come into the Center to arrange an appointment. Your son or daughter will be seen in a timely manner, usually within 24 hours of making contact with us.
2. Do counselors call students to encourage them to make an appointment at the Counseling Center?
Counseling Center staff members do not contact students and ask them to come in or inquire about their mental health. It is our belief that counseling is most effective when it is voluntary, and students often perceive such calls as intrusive. If a situation exists in which the Center receives information that a student is in imminent danger as a result of a psychological problem, a wellness check will be initiated, and, when needed, appropriate law enforcement or emergency medical personnel will be contacted. The Center will contact parents in situations where a student's physical safety or well-being is at risk, when such contact can add to the student's safety.
3. Can the counselor call me to keep me updated on how treatment is going?
Because of mental health laws and confidentiality restrictions, we cannot provide any information about your son/daughter without a written release giving specific permission to do so. Students can sign a Release of Information form, which allows the counselor to verify attendance, report on progress, or discuss aspects of the therapy. We also encourage students to communicate directly with their parents about their treatment.
4. What if I want to share information about my son or daughter or inquire about how they are doing?
Although we cannot give out information to parents unless the student has signed a release, we can listen to parents' concerns. Frequently parents do have insights into the situation that are helpful to the student and to the process of therapy. We will let your son or daughter know you have called (and we will present your involvement/concerns in a positive way) and attempt to help them with the issues raised.
5. How can the Counseling Center help if my student is having serious academic problems?
If a serious personal situation is affecting your student's academic standing or ability to keep pace with his/her course work, the Center staff can serve as a resource for connecting your son or daughter with the appropriate staff or faculty that can be of assistance (such as the Deans offices, Center for Academic Support, academic advisors).
6. What if a parent, another student, or a faculty or staff member is concerned about a student?
Counselors are available Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (508-626-4640) to consult with parents and others. Counselors can offer parents and others suggestions for helping the student, provide information about resources available on and off-campus, and offer suggestions about how to encourage the student to make an appointment to see a counselor.
7. My son/daughter is already in therapy and on a psychotropic medication. What should I do about the therapy and medication issue while he/she is attending FSU?
Your son/daughter can maintain their established relationship with their medication prescriber to continue monitoring his/her medication. Many students are able to maintain their periodic medication follow-up appointment with their hometown prescribers.
We suggest that students discuss with their prescriber and therapist treatment needs while they are away at college. If ongoing psychotherapy is desired, the Center can offer that, either in conjunction with existing providers, or, if appropriate, as the new provider of choice. A clinician from the Center can meet with your son or daughter to evaluate the needs and together make a determination about what treatment would be most beneficial for the student.
8. What if my son/daughter is having a psychological crisis?
If your son or daughter is experiencing a psychological crisis, s/he can contact the Counseling Center during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday), and will be seen and evaluated. The staff at the Center encourage students to communicate with parents if they are in crisis. If s/he is experiencing a psychological crisis after hours or on the weekends, s/he may contact the Advocates Psychiatric Emergency Services (508-872-3333) to be evaluated. After being evaluated, Advocates may recommend that your son or daughter be admitted to a psychiatric hospital or partial hospital program. Advocates will encourage students to notify parents if there is a hospitalization, and normally notify the Counseling Center if this has occurred.
