Our Services

EMERGENCY INFORMATION

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

OUR SERVICES

Short-term individual psychotherapy
Couples psychotherapy
Mental health assessments
Medication management
Referrals to on-campus resources and off-campus professionals
Consultation to faculty, staff, students and administration
Information on topics designed to enhance mental health and emotional well-being

We do not provide:
Long-term, intensive psychotherapy
Long-term treatment for eating disorders, chronic mental illness, trauma or addiction

TYPES OF THERAPY

As general practitioners, each of our counselors utilizes and is experienced in multiple therapeutic modalities. The most common types of therapy we use at the Counseling Center are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Insight-Oriented Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). In almost all cases we share psychoeducation throughout counseling to educate our students during their own process of self-exploration, healing and growth.

We place special emphasis on considering the whole person and encourage students first and foremost to create and maintain healthy self-care practices in order to ensure they are taking responsibility for their own well-being. College is a time of transition for students as they acclimate to living life away from family and structures they have known their whole life. It is vital for students to begin creating healthy routines and practices in regard to sleep, eating, exercise, stress reduction, time management and self-assertiveness. We approach all of our work with students through a developmental perspective. During these college years there is a particularly unique and powerful convergence of changes that occur in a college student’s emotional, social, spiritual and vocational identity. This convergence can make therapy during these four years of development a particularly powerful, rich and productive process.

NUMBER OF SESSIONS

In order to provide support for all who request counseling services, we limit counseling to a maximum of 8-sessions per semester. However, our desire to care for and support each student in the most appropriate way is our highest priority. Students are welcome to utilize the Counseling Center at any time while they are a student at Gordon. Many students return at different times during their college career to seek counseling support.

COST

Counseling services are free of charge at all times and are designed to address issues that are short-term in nature. If the student feels they would benefit from weekly or long-term counseling, or would like to see a professional off-campus, we work with the student to help facilitate a smooth transfer to a local professional. Please refer to the Off-Campus Professionals page for a listing of local professional resources.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All communication you share with the Counseling Center is confidential and protected by the law if you are over the age of 18. Information about your attendance at the Counseling Center and any information you reveal in sessions cannot be discussed with others (including all Gordon faculty, staff, students or parents) unless you have given written consent. Counselors cannot even confirm that a student is coming to the Counseling Center when asked, without written consent.

By law, there are exceptions to this rule. Exceptions include the following:

• If you present a clear and present danger to yourself or someone else.
• If you are being perpetrated against in a physical, sexual or violent manner, or if you are perpetrating against another person.
• As consistent with standard professional practice, your counselor will consult with the Counseling Center staff regarding your treatment. In such circumstances, your privacy will be safeguarded by not disclosing identifying information.
• Counselors sometimes function in other roles at the College, including the classroom. To protect your confidentiality, we will not acknowledge any relationship with you should we see you or interact with you outside of the Counseling Center offices.
• To protect confidentiality, Counselors are not able to engage in social media relationships (such as Facebook and LinkedIn) with students.

REASONS STUDENTS COME TO COUNSELING

Below is a list which includes many, but not all of the reasons students come to counseling:

• Academic Concerns (struggling in a class, trouble getting to class, fear of public speaking)
• ADD/ADHD
• Addiction (substances, video games, pornography)
• Adjustment to College (homesickness, difficulty being in an extroverted environment as an introvert, et al.)
• Adjustment Returning from an Off-campus Program
• Anxiety/Panic Attacks
• Boundaries
• Cutting/Self-Injury
• Dating/Loss of a Relationship
• Depression/Mood Swings
• Difficulty with Living Situations
• Divorce/Separation
• Eating Concerns/Body-Image Concerns
• Family of Origin Issues
• Grief and Loss
• History of Abuse
• OCD
• Identity Questions
• Perfectionism (pervasive sense of not feeling “good enough,” need to ensure others see them in a positive light, tendency to over-commit even when feeling overwhelmed, “people pleasing”)
• PTSD
• Relational Conflict
• Self-Image
• Sexual Assault/Rape
• Sleep Disturbance
• Stress (feeling overwhelmed, can’t keep up)
• Sexuality
• Stress Related to a Specific Role (RA, Clarendon, Athlete, et al.)
• Uncontrollable Thoughts or Feelings