Counseling Services

Individual Counseling

Counseling is a collaborative process which involves the development of a unique, confidential helping relationship. In this relationship, the counselor acts as a facilitator in helping the client to understand more accurately him/herself and the world around him/her. Boat Individuals are helped to understand their feelings and behaviors, their relationships with others, their particular situation, choices, and decisions. Discussion of whatever is important and relevant enables individuals to grow toward greater freedom in making mature choices and taking responsible action with themselves, relationships, family, and studies. More specifically, individual counseling can help students understand and resolve concerns regarding mood (you feel stressed, you feel sad or unmotivated, you are easily distracted and have difficulty concentrating, you question the meaning of your life, etc.), academics (you are performing poorly on exams even though you study and feel prepared, you procrastinate to the extent that you are unable to meet deadlines for turning in assignments, you blank on exams and are not able to demonstrate to the professor that you know and understand the material, etc.), relationships (you feel homesick, you feel anxious or self-conscious when interacting with peers; you are grieving the loss of a loved one, you are engaged in a conflict with a family member, partner, or friend, etc), and problematic behaviors (you eat erratically, you are using alcohol or marijuana, getting intoxicated or stoned, and know few other ways of relaxing and having fun, you are cutting or burning yourself, you are lying to friends, professors, and/or family members, etc.).

Referrals

The Counseling and Career Services staff is committed to helping students access the care they need. Sometimes, students present with concerns and needs that cannot be adequately addressed by our Center. In these situations, students may be referred to off-campus behavioral health care clinicians who can competently provide the particular kind of care that is needed. For example, students may be referred for outside help if: their concerns warrant long-term psychotherapy; they are requesting psychological testing for ADD/ADHD or learning disabilities; they need specialty care for eating disorders Boats or substance abuse, and/or; they need to be evaluated for a trial of psychiatric medication.

Our counselors are very knowledgeable about services available both on and off-campus. And we are also aware of the insurance issues that frequently decide with whom and for how long treatment is offered. We refer, most often, to behavioral health care clinicians with private practices located in Newton and Rockdale counties, or in Decatur area, convenient to the Atlanta campus. For students needing psychiatric medication, we refer to either the Oxford Student Health Service or the Emory Student Health Service, depending on the nature of the illness.

With the exception of services at the Emory or Oxford SHS, services students receive outside of Emory University involve a fee. The staff of Counseling and Career Services do their best to refer students to the most affordable treatment option-either providers covered by the student's insurance policy or low cost/sliding scale facilities in the community.

Students who are referred off campus for their primary behavioral health treatment are encouraged to remain in periodic contact with Counseling and Career Services staff. Counseling and Career Services staff, can be for students receiving outside help, a supportive resource. For students referred to outside behavioral health care providers for adjunct services, such as psychological testing or medication management, they will be requested to authorize communication between their CCS staff counselor and their outside behavioral health provider . The sharing of information between members of a student's treatment team insures optimum care and best facilitates the student's progress toward recovery.

Couples Counseling

Couples counseling works toward alleviating the strains in a close relationship. Examples include working out a problem with a roommate, close friend, or a significant other.

Problem Solving Sessions

Counseling and Career Services offers problem-solving sessions. These usually involve meeting once with the counselor to discuss a very specific problem or decision making dilemma. Usually these are situations in which the student does not feel comfortable going to a friend or family member, but needs to talk to someone.

Career and Personality Testing

Counseling and Career Services provides some testing services. In many cases this is done in the context of individual counseling. Currently Counseling and Career Services provides personality testing with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI); vocational interest testing with the Strong Interest Inventory (SII); and various other instruments selected by the clinician to be appropriate. Counseling and Career Services staff are available to do programs utilizing the MBTI.

Consultation

Occasionally, students, faculty, and/or staff have a serious concern about the behavior of a student and would like to consult with a professional about what might be done to help the individual. Counseling and Career Services staff are available to provide professional advice, referrals to other services or individuals, or help with psychology-related projects.

Workshops and Outreach

Throughout the school year, Counseling and Career Services offers workshops, lectures, or programs on various topics of interest to the Oxford community. Counselors are also available to campus groups and organizations to provide specialized programs on a variety of topics. Frequently Counseling and Career Services works with clubs as a co-sponsor.

Previous programs have addressed the following topics: mountain river

Learning styles
Study skills
Time management
Test anxiety
Career resources
Major selection/career planning
Internships
Public speaking
Assertiveness
Conflict resolution
Unhealthy relationships
Sexual assault
Depression and suicide
Eating disorders
Drugs and alcohol

Self Help Resources

You are also welcome to explore psychoeducational topics on your own. Counseling and Career Services provides audiotapes, videotapes, books and computer programs for your use on a variety of topics.

Available Videos:

Career Planning: Putting Your Skills To Work
Clinical Hypnosis for Stress & Anxiety Reduction
A Little Respect (sexual orientation issues)
Real People: Coping With Eating Disorders
Rape Prevention: Trust Your Instincts
In The Shadows: Codependents
The Epidemic Continues (alcohol & drugs)
Time Out (HIV/AIDS)
People Like Us (HIV/AIDS)
Condoms and Common Sense
Tina's Appointment (anxiety control for pelvic exam)
Moving Back Into The Light (misconceptions about depression)
Faces of Depression
Panic Disorder - Stories of Hope
Smart Move (benefits of quitting smoking)
Sharing The Hope (overview of OCD)
Healthy Woman 2000 Eating Disorders
Puppet Strings (eating disorders awareness)
Body Image: Let's Get Real

Learnlink

Counseling and Career Services has two conferences on LearnLink. On the Counseling and Career Services Conference, postings include topics relevant to mental health issues, major/career issues, social issues, and new programs being offered by Counseling and Career Services. The second conference called "Body Image" has been set up as an ongoing discussion of issues related to body image and eating disorders. This conference is located inside the Counseling and Career Services Conference. Both conferences are open to questions and comments from the students, staff, and faculty. The Counseling and Career Services conferences can be found with the other Campus Life conferences under "Oxford College."

Services to Faculty and Staff

Faculty and staff play a significant role in referring students to Counseling and Career Services. Due to our requirements to maintain confidentiality, we are unable to provide feedback about students who have been referred for counseling. If the student gives their consent, we will send an acknowledgment to the referring person that the student came for an intake appointment.

While Counseling and Career Services cannot provide direct services to faculty or staff, we are available to faculty for guest lecturing on topics that may be relevant to their classes (e.g., addictive behavior for Health classes). We can also provide assistance with referral information to faculty or staff. We are always available for consultations regarding students who may be having emotional or behavioral problems.