University Counseling Center

How do you make an appointment?

An initial session can be scheduled any time between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. To schedule, call 216-397-4283 or use our online portal to request an appointment.

What can you expect at the initial session?

The first session, called a "phone screening" session, usually lasts about 20 minutes and will most often be a phone call with a counselor. Prior to the triage, you will be asked to provide some background information about yourself in our secure, online database. The triage counselor will have a brief conversation with you about the information you provide, explain the services of the Counseling Center, and decide best next steps. Future sessions may be with a different counselor than the one you will be speaking with during your initial visit.

Fees

The services of the Counseling Center are offered free of charge to all students currently enrolled in credit courses at John Carroll University.

What about Confidentiality?

All information shared during the counseling experience is held in complete confidence within the Counseling Center, except in cases where there is imminent danger to the individual or another person. 

Individual Counseling

Counselors are available to meet on an individual basis with students seeking help. The student seeking counseling can talk confidentially about anything that is on his or her mind. Students seek counseling to deal with a wide variety of concerns including but not limited to: stress, anxiety, sadness, grief, family difficulties, relationships, self-esteem, loneliness, body image or eating concerns, interpersonal violence counseling / advocacy, and academic difficulties.

Psychiatry

A part-time psychiatrist and psychiatry resident(s) are available at the Counseling Center on a limited basis (Wednesday afternoons) to provide assessment and medication monitoring for students engaged in counseling services. Any student using psychiatry services must all continue to use counseling services. If a student is interested solely in psychiatry, our office can provide off campus referrals.

Crisis/Emergency Services

The University Counseling Center now provides after hours crisis counseling by phone. For students needing mental health crisis help evenings or weekends, just call the Counseling Center: 216-397-4283. During the day (normal business hours), call or walk in to be seen right away for crisis, or schedule to get started with therapy. 

You can also refer to our Emergency Info page.

Consultation Services

Faculty, staff, parents, and students who are concerned about a student can consult with our counseling staff.

Educational Workshops and Self-Help Resources

Our staff offers workshops and programs that support student development to the entire campus community. If you would like the Counseling Center to provide a presentation or other outreach programming to your student group or class, please complete the Outreach Request Form. Self-help brochures on a wide variety of topics are available free of charge at the Counseling Center. We also offer psycho-educational videos and other resources on our website’s Mental Health Resources page.

Mental Performance Consulting - Individual Athletes or Teams

Address the mental side of your sport by enhancing psychological skills and knowledge to help you achieve consistent, optimal performance and overall well-being. Mental performance consulting can help capitalize on strengths, identity barriers to optimal performance, manage adversity, and give you a significant edge. In working with individual athletes and teams, we will work collaboratively to identify specific strategies for the unique athlete or team need. Mental performance sessions are instructional, collaborative, and geared toward helping student-athletes maximize their potential. For more information about this service, please refer to our Mental Performance Services page.

University Counseling Center – Scope of Services

The University Counseling Center (UCC) strives to provide as many clinical services to our students as possible in a safe and responsible manner. The UCC invites all currently enrolled students to make an initial appointment to meet with one of our counselors and discuss their concerns. During this initial meeting, the counselor, in collaboration with students, will recommend services within the UCC or the community and assist students in obtaining the appropriate services to meet their needs.

When appropriate, students may be referred to services offered within the UCC. In order to use its resources most effectively, the UCC utilizes a short-term model of therapy (although there is no strict session limit) to assist students in addressing issues common in a college setting.

Some of the issues that are commonly addressed in short-term counseling at the UCC are:

• Personal Issues: Stress and anxiety, depression, anger, loneliness, guilt, low self-esteem, and grief
• Relationship Issues: Romantic relationship difficulties, sexual concerns, roommate problems, and family issues
• Developmental & Identity Issues: Identity development, issues related to diversity, adjustment to college, and life transitions
• Academic Concerns: Performance anxiety, perfectionism, underachievement, and low motivation
• Other Issues: Effects of trauma, sexual assault, abuse, concerns from childhood or adolescence, spiritual concerns, body image, food preoccupation, and healthy lifestyle choices

Students whose needs cannot be accommodated within short-term counseling are referred to community resources. Similarly, students whose needs require a particular type of expertise or capability that is not found in the UCC are also referred into the community. The UCC provides referral services either after the initial session or as these factors become more apparent during the course of services. The UCC staff will provide referral options that we believe will best meet students’ needs. The UCC staff will typically follow-up with students to be sure the referral was facilitated and offer additional assistance in finding resources as necessary. Students are encouraged to follow-up through an appointment(s) at the UCC, although some students may opt to follow-up by email only. If transportation is an issue for students, the UCC staff will refer students to the university’s Health Center which provides van services for off-campus appointments.

Some of the issues that are commonly addressed through referral to services outside of the UCC include:

• A desire to be seen more than once a week or for long-term therapy, or a need for such as indicated by:
  • History of multiple hospitalizations
  • Chronic suicidality and/or self-injury behaviors; history of repeated suicide attempts
  • Manifestations of psychotic symptoms without willingness to remain on medication for the stabilization of symptoms
  • Indication that short-term therapy may be detrimental or non-beneficial
• Students who need specialized services not available through the UCC as indicated by:
  • Presence of significant drug and/or alcohol problems such as substance dependence, primary substance abuse, and/or past failed treatments
  • Presence of significant or long-standing eating disorder with no period of remission, no previous treatment, or that may pose a medical danger
  • Request for testing/evaluation or medication management for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Request for assessment or documentation for service or emotional support animals

o   Request for any mandated treatment

If you are unsure whether or not the UCC services are the best fit for your needs, our staff will be happy to meet with you to discuss your individual situation.

Click to Meet our Staff

Mission Statement

We provide accepting, inclusive mental health treatment and support for students with diverse identities. Through thoughtful assessment with a multicultural lens, we tailor services to students in a flexible care model, providing individual and group counseling, crisis counseling, referral, and psychiatry. We collaborate with students to enhance their well-being so that they can build healthy communities that create a better world. 

We supervise and prepare well-rounded, educated graduate interns to contribute to the mental health workforce. As part of a caring JCU community, we provide consultation and training to faculty, staff and students, and we build bridges with campus partners to enhance the culture of care for the whole person. 

Values

• Acceptance and inclusion for all students 
• Emphasis on the well-being and mental health of students above all other considerations
• Support for authentic self-development and growth
• Impact through healing and psychoeducation
• Development of healthy connections and caring community

Diversity Statement

The Counseling Center at John Carroll University is fully committed to serving all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, religious or spiritual beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, physical and mental abilities, or socio-economic status, in a manner that confirms, affirms and supports their inherent dignity, worth, and value. The Counseling Center staff consciously and proactively strives to create an atmosphere of openness, trust, respect, and safety, where diversity in attitudes, beliefs or values can be explored and discussed. We strive to educate ourselves and others on issues related to power, privilege, institutionalized oppression, discrimination, and other forms of marginalization. We realize that mental health is often affected by these forms of oppression and marginalization. Our staff and trainees are committed to providing culturally competent counseling services in order to advocate, empower, support, and facilitate relevant, positive therapeutic outcomes for our clients.