Center for Counseling and Student DevelopmentOverview of the CenterMissionThe Center for Counseling and Student Development (CCSD) strives to help students cope more effectively with personal, emotional and situational barriers to learning; improve students' adjustment to unavoidable stress; and contribute to their personal growth and development by providing psychological support and guidance. This is accomplished primarily through the provision of counseling services for enrolled students and secondarily by offering psycho-educational programming and consultations to the campus community. What we do:
Why might a Student meet with a CounselorCollege life brings many opportunities as well as challenges that are often stressful. Students experience those challenges in a number of different areas--some students have difficulties adjusting to the changes in academic demands from high school to college, others experience confusion in deciding on a major or career path, and still others struggle with issues in their families and relationships. Most students feel anxious, depressed, or confused at some point during their college experience. Support often comes from friends, family members or significant others, but in many cases a trained professional can be the most effective source of support. In fact most of us, at some time in our lives, feel overwhelmed and could benefit from talking with someone objective who won’t judge us, and who will help us to see new alternatives. Thus, the primary goal of the Center for Counseling and Student Development is to provide students with psychological support and guidance toward finding more effective coping strategies. Counseling can be a key experience in the attainment of the skills essential to academic and personal success. The Center is available to all registered students. There are no fees for our services as the cost is already built into your yearly fees. Faculty and staff may request a consultation.
Common reasons Students Meet with a CounselorCounseling can be helpful whenever someone wants assistance in coping with life's challenges. Below are some general guidelines for determining when counseling may be particularly appropriate:
General ExpectationsAppointments are typically scheduled once per week or once every two weeks for 45 minutes per session. The first 2-3 sessions are an assessment of your needs to help us jointly determine if our setting or another setting is the best to meet your needs. If it is decided that an outside provider will best meet your needs, the CCSD will work closely with you to help find a private mental health provider. The Center for Counseling and Student Development does not perform court-mandated assessments or Learning Disability Assessments. Counselors can evaluate your use of effective learning strategies and help you decide if testing for a learning disability seems appropriate. The Center for Counseling and Student Development practices a short-term or brief therapy model. Under this framework students may meet with a counselor up to 8 sessions per semester with a maximum of 16 sessions in one year. Your active participation in the counseling process is necessary for progress; therefore attendance at all scheduled sessions is important. You are expected to give us 24 hours notice should you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Should you fail to keep your appointment and do not call to cancel, we will no longer keep that hour available for you and it will count as one of your sessions. This decision does not prohibit you from returning to CCSD in the future and rescheduling your appointment.
Emergency Numbers and Resources
In the Event of an Emergency: Students who experience a mental health crisis during regular office hours will be seen as soon as possible. If you are in an emergency situation and need immediate help after office hours, please call Public Safety. Public Safety can contact the on-call counselor (available for emergency consultations during the academic year when classes are in session) and/or coordinate the most appropriate emergency response. Public Safety can be reached from an on-campus phone at 911, or from off-campus at 518-783-2999. The Albany Mobile Crisis Unit can also be reached, 24 hours a day, at 518-447-9650. You may also go directly to the nearest emergency room. Campus Public Safety emergency number:
Other Emergency Service numbers:
How to Make an Appointment: Appointments may be made in person or by calling 518-783-2342. Office hours are: Appointments are scheduled as soon as possible. Be sure to let our receptionist know if your situation is urgent, and you need to speak with a counselor immediately. In certain situations, the needs of a student are beyond what the Center staff can provide. In those instances, our role is to facilitate access to the appropriate services. Same Day Emergency Appointment - information sheet Additional Resources Substance Abuse:
Student ResourcesUlifeline Are you looking for more information about mental health issues that affect college students? Click on our link below to Ulifeline, a confidential online resource center for college students. Access to information sheets, mental health facts, related web-sites, and online screenings are available. Eating Disorders: How to help An individual's disordered eating behaviors can be disruptive or concerning to others in the campus community. The following link provides additional information on how you can help when you think a friend has a problem with eating: Feeling Stressed? Consider trying these exercises Psychologists Steve Sprinkle and Bonnie Lambourn (from Hobart and William Smith Colleges' Counseling Center) have recorded a couple of free audio files outlining relaxation exercises that you can download for your own use. These relaxation exercises are easy to learn and implement, and can be remarkably effective in addressing stress, test anxiety, all kinds of phobias, and other similar concerns. The first exercise is called a "Progressive Relaxation Exercise, " and the second, a "Combination Relaxation Exercise." To download the MP3 files and listen to the exercises, go to the following website: Sexual Assault Resources The Center can assist students who have been sexually assaulted. Students may schedule a free and confidential appointment by calling 518-783-2342. If the assault happened recently, let the receptionist know that you would like to talk with a psychologist today about an urgent situation. To learn more about getting help for yourself, or to help someone who has been sexually assaulted, please refer to the following literature:
Resources and Information on Dating Violence, Stalking and Sexual Assault
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