Counseling Center

Office: 316 Dyer Hall
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (except University Holidays)
Phone: 513-556-0648
Web: http://www.uc.edu/cc/

Academic success requires that students give their best effort to their studies.  Difficulties with academics can often be a reflection of emotional and behavioral issues which limit a student’s ability to concentrate, focus, or remember.  The most prevalent mental health issues for college students, anxiety and depression, may interfere with sleep patterns, appetite, ability to concentrate, memory and ability to maintain social connections necessary for optimal functioning in the college environment.  Students who are affected may miss classes and fall behind rapidly.  There is still enough shame associated with mental health issues that these students may not seek help immediately.  The good news is that anxiety, depression, and many other common mental health issues for college students, can be helped with proper diagnosis and treatment. 

Referring to the Counseling Center. There is still enough stigma associated with using counseling that some students may be reluctant to contact the Counseling Center. You can address reluctance by "normalizing" the use of such services-conveying that hundreds of students use the Counseling Center every year and counseling is a part of general health care, with a focus on emotional and interpersonal satisfaction. It helps students to hear that seeking counseling is not a sign of weakness, "craziness," or an inability to handle one's own problems, but rather a sign of strength in seeking out resources. Note to the student that services are confidential; the initial interview has no fee, and a sliding scale is available to make counseling available regardless of financial circumstances. You can give the student our flier (call our office if you would like copies) or phone number (556-0648). You can also suggest (but do not require) the student use your phone to call from your office to set up an appointment. If you are very concerned about a student, you can offer to walk over to the Counseling Center with him or her. You can ask a student to let you know how things went if they do agree to go to the Counseling Center.

Giving students specific information may also increase the likelihood of their initiating contact with us. We are located in Dyer Hall, room 316. Our hours are 8 am to 5 pm weekdays. We have emergency walk-in or call-in coverage all the time we are open. The initial appointment lasts about an hour, in which we learn about the student and the student learns about our procedures. Follow up appointments are 45-50 minutes, usually once a week, but we can be flexible. Most counseling at the Counseling Center occurs within about 20 sessions; we work with students on focal problems. We do refer students elsewhere when we do not have specific expertise to assist them or when treatment for a situation goes beyond the scope of our time-limited model. However, we work with students until they feel stable and better able to cope.

Emergencies. Some situations require immediate attention. If a student 's behavior is highly disruptive, creates a risk for others' safety, appears very disorganized or out of control, or if the student expresses an intent of self-harm or suicide, seek immediate assistance by calling the Counseling Center (556-0648) and asking for the therapist on-call for emergencies, or call Public Safety at 911. It is always best to be extra cautious.

PSC provides several regular intake times throughout the week for students to choose from.  If a student cannot meet during one of these times, we will arrange for another time to meet with them.  Our goal is to have students seen as soon as possible. If a student is in crisis, there is a therapist available during office hours to meet with these students immediately. 

All of the services provided by the UC Psychological Services Center are strictly confidential, and no information will be provided to the referral source or others without explicit written consent.

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