Overview of Services
Siena University Counseling Center services are free and confidential. The Counseling Center also provides consultations for students to faculty, staff, and families regarding the mental health of Siena students.
Short-term Individual Counseling
The Siena University Counseling Center offers short-term counseling for students to reduce emotional distress, learn coping skills, foster resilience, and receive support. The annual (September 1 to May 31) number of the Counseling Center sessions offered is 8 to 10. Beginning at the first session, the clinician and student will work together to determine if the student’s needs can be met in our model. For example, students with a history of multiple hospitalizations, severe eating disorders, or active psychoses will likely be referred to the community, given the need for more than 10 sessions of counseling. For students who require or wish to have more than 8 to 10 sessions annually, we can assist you in finding a community provider. Attending a group counseling session or a skills group offered by the Office of Health Promotion does not count toward the 10 session limit.
GRoup WORKSHOPS
In addition to individual therapy, The Siena University Counseling Center offers clinical skill-building workshops for interested students who are enrolled in the Center. The workshops are thematic (e.g. Anxiety Toolbox) and curriculum-based, and convene once a week for three weeks during free period. They are offered on a rotating basis, every few weeks, so that students can take advantage of them without a long wait. Just a note: these are not drop-in groups, so participation is planned in advance, in consultation with Counseling Center personnel.
Psychiatric Services
Siena University contracts with external providers to provide medication management. These providers are available free of charge. The cost to purchase medications will vary depending on the student’s insurance plan. Stipulations for seeing the psychiatry providers include:
- Psychiatry appointments are held primarily in person, but may be held via Zoom, if appropriate.
- Student must be engaged in concurrent counseling at the Counseling Center to be eligible for psychiatric services.
- Students with repeated missed psychiatric appointments may be referred to the community.
- First appointments with the psychiatrist are scheduled for 60 minutes. Follow-ups are scheduled for 30 minutes.
- Computer paperwork does not have to be completed for these appointments.
- No prescriptions for ADHD / ADD medications or benzodiazepines.