Receive Counseling Services at Columbia College
Tired
of struggling? Need to talk? Explore available confidential, professional
mental health services
College life is stressful sometimes. Students may feel overwhelmed from juggling academic demands, living on one’s own for the first time, managing relationships, roommate conflict, family issues, and extracurricular activities, among other stressors. If your emotional or environmental stress is weighing you down, you're not alone. Many college students utilize counseling at some point.
Our center is staffed with experienced Licensed Professional Counselors who will partner with you to address your concerns. Please do not hesitate to reach out and schedule an appointment.
Benefits of counseling
Columbia College students report gaining support, insight and valuable skills for coping with stressors in a non-judgmental, confidential, safe environment as the result of counseling (Wellness, Health and Counseling Student Satisfaction Survey, 2019). Other benefits of counseling include, but are not limited to:
- Learning skills for managing anxiety, depression, PTSD, mood disorders, ADHD and other mental health related issues.
- Grief and loss support
- Working through family of origin issues
- Support with LGBTQ issues
- Improved interpersonal communication
- Increased ability to tolerate and manage distress
- Strengthened positive sense of self
- Healthier relationships
- Improved ability to cope with loneliness
Additional support through Togetherall
Togetherall.com is an online mental health community available to all students. Through this site, students can offer and receive peer-to-peer support for mental health concerns. The site is also monitored by licensed therapists in case of crisis. This resource may be especially helpful for students feeling isolated or alone.
Consultations vs counseling
Consultations involve one or two meetings with a licensed professional to address a concern, seek assistance on how to support another student, or obtain a referral to an off-campus provider. If a student chooses to engage in a counseling relationship, after the consultation, your counselor will gather more information and work with you to develop a plan for the course of counseling.
Confidentiality and privacy
Student privacy and confidentiality are important to the counseling relationship. Therefore, we take numerous measures to insure information students share is kept confidential and electronic and paper files are stored securely. When you speak with a counselor, the content of your meeting is kept confidential, unless you give your counselor written permission to share information. There are a few exceptions to confidentiality that involve safety. Your counselor will review exceptions to confidentiality in the first session, so you have the opportunity to ask questions and address any concerns, before you begin to share.
Know the difference between a mental health crisis and a mental health emergency
A mental health emergency is a life-threatening situation in which an individual is imminently threatening harm to self or others (has a plan and intentions to act on the plan), severely disorientated or out of touch with reality, has a severe inability to function, or is otherwise distraught and out of control.
Examples of a mental health emergency includes:
- Acting on a suicide threat
- Homicidal or threatening behavior
- Self- injury needing immediate medical attention
- Severely impaired by drugs or alcohol
- Highly erratic or unusual behavior that indicates very unpredictable behavior and/or an inability to care for themselves.
Suggestions for what to do in case of a mental health emergency:
- Call 9-8-8
- Call campus safety (if you are a day or evening student in Columbia, Missouri) at 573-875-7315
- Call Wellness, Health and Counseling Services at 573-875-7423
- Notify your Dean or Division Chair
A mental health crisis is a non-life threatening situation, in which an individual is exhibiting extreme emotional or behavioral distress, has thoughts about, but NO intentions and NO plan to harm self or others, disoriented or out of touch with reality, has a compromised ability to function, or is otherwise agitate and unable to be calmed.
Examples of a Mental Health Crisis includes:
- Talking about suicide threats
- Talking about threatening behavior
- Self- injury, but not needing immediate medical attention
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Highly erratic or unusual behavior
- Eating disorders
- Not taking their prescribed psychiatric medications
- Emotionally distraught, very depressed, angry or anxious
Suggestions for what to do in case of a Mental Health Crisis
- Seek support by getting in contact with your medical provider and/or counselor, either on campus or in your community. Take care of yourself by practicing good self-care and practice strategies for coping with strong emotions.
- Call Wellness, Health and Counseling at 573-875-7423. State that you are in crisis or are with a person in crisis.
- If you are a support person, remain with the person until you are able to reach help. If you are a student in crisis, please seek support. You do not have to suffer alone.
Resources
- Ask Listen Refer — Provides information on how to recognize risk factors and warning signs of suicide. Provides resources and information on how to respond to someone in need.
- NAMI - National Alliance for the Mentally Ill — Provides information on illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder and medications. Also includes local support groups for patients and their families.
- ULifeline — Provides a self-evaluation tool to address depression, anxiety, eating disorders, alcohol abuse, suicidal thinking and drug use. Information on numerous topics related to college students.
- Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance — Provides information on depression and treatment. Includes screenings.
- Anxiety Disorders Association of America — Offers information on anxiety disorders, screening tools, self-help and how to get support.
- National Eating Disorders Association — Provides information, programs and treatment referrals.
- Al-Anon — Provides information for friends and family members of individuals dealing with alcohol abuse/addiction. Includes a link to local support.
- AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) — Provides information and support for those struggling with alcohol abuse/addiction.
- Alcoholics Resource Center — Provides information and social networking for members of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). Also provides resources to get started with AA for individuals desiring to achieve sobriety.
- National Sleep Foundation — Provides information about sleep myths and facts, insomnia, drowsy-driving and more.
- Mental Health is Health — Our emotional health can range from thriving to struggling…there are ways to take action to support yourself and those around you.
- The JED Foundation's Mental Health Resource Center — Find tips for college students for managing stress and uncomfortable emotions.
- Make The Connection — Features veterans and their family members sharing stories of strength and recovery. Provides information on mental health and local mental health resources; and helps others learn how to show support.
- The Trevor Project — Provides support for students in the LGBTQ community.
- Love Is Respect - 24-hour resource for those experiencing dating violence and abuse.
- Start Your Recovery: Substance Abuse Resources & Support — Hear stories about people overcoming substance misuse and addiction, and find helpful resources for creating change.
Burrell Behavioral Health – Adult Outpatient Mental Health Services (573) 777-7500
CenterPointe Outpatient Services – Outpatient Mental Health Services (573) 615-2010
Family Counseling Center of Missouri, Inc – Outpatient Mental Health Services (573) 443-2581
CenterPointe Hospital Columbia, Missouri – Inpatient Mental Health Services (573) 615-2001
Suicide Prevention Hotline – (800) 273-8255
Crisis Text Line – Text: HELLO to 741741
Trevor Support Center – LGBTQ crisis line: Call (866) 488-7386 or text START to 678678
Veterans Crisis Line – call (800) 273-8255 or text: 838255