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Home > Student Life > Counseling Center for Wellness
Welcome
The Neumann University Counseling Center for Wellness' mission is to promote students' well-being within a safe and confidential environment through a range of supportive services.
We are here for you. During the fall semester 2020-2021 academic year, we will continue meeting with students remotely using Microsoft Team. Students who desire to schedule an appointment with one of our counselors must complete our electronic intake form. The intake form can be found on this page. If you need help please email the Director of Counseling, Georgette Hall-Peterson.
If you are a student in crisis during a time when Counseling Services is closed, please call Campus Safety at ext. 5555 if on campus; if off campus, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. The closest hospitals are:
Riddle Memorial Hospital
1068 West Baltimore Pike
Media, PA 19063
(484) 227-9400
Crozier Chester Medical Center
1 Medical Center Boulevard
Upland, PA 19013
(610) 447-2000
The following resources are also available:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line (24/7) Free Crisis Support: 741741
- Women Against Abuse 24-Hour Hotline: (domestic violence): 215-386-1280
National Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) - Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR)
24-Hour Hotline: 215-985-3333 - Disaster Distress Helpline 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkwithUs” to 66746
- Crisis Hotline (24/7)1-800-273-TALK
- Trans Hotline 877-565-8860
- The Peer Recovery Warm Line: 1-877-292-5588
- Hotline: 1-800-799-safe
- Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR): 215-985-3333
- WHO Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic
Location
The Counseling Center for Wellness (CCW) is located at 603B Convent Road in the brick house next to the Mirenda Center Parking Lot.
Eligibility for services
All full-time and part-time Neumann University undergraduate students are eligible for counseling services at no cost.
Mission
The Counseling Center for Wellness (CCW) supports the mission of Neumann University by encouraging the spiritual, intellectual, cultural, emotional, and social/sexual development of students. The CCW:
- Provides a safe and inclusive place for short-term, solution-focused clinical counseling which helps our diverse community of learners develop self-awareness, recognize alternatives and feel empowered to take charge of their lives.
- Educates the campus community around the care and importance of mental health through community-level interventions, outreach programming and consultation.
- Responds to the effect of crisis impacting individual students and the campus community.
- Contributes to the advancement of the mental health field through the training of new professionals.
- Advocates for a holistic approach to mental health which affirms self-care and self-awareness as life-long learning.
Vision
The Neumann University Counseling Center for Wellness (CCW) will be recognized as a regional leader in mental health and well-being for college students, especially those from under-resourced and historically marginalized populations. We strive to provide a dynamic and accessible approach to counseling, prevention services, programming and consultation.
Scope of Service
Services provided at CCW:
- Short-term counseling and psychotherapy, including:
- Individual Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Monthly psychiatric medication management (See Consulting Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner)
- Daily emergency/drop-in consultation
- Outreach and consultation to University organizations or groups on mental-health-related topics
Some of the concerns that are commonly addressed in short-term counseling are:
- Personal Concerns: Stress, anxiety, depression, anger, loneliness, guilt, low self-esteem, grief
- Relationship Concerns: Romantic relationships, roommate problems, family problems, social life
- Developmental Concerns: Identity (e.g., personal, cultural, sexual orientation, gender identity), adjustment to college, healthy lifestyle choices, decisions, life transitions
- Other Concerns: Effects of trauma, sexual assault, abuse, thoughts of suicide, concerns from childhood or adolescence, body image, food preoccupation, disordered eating
Services NOT provided at CCW
- Testing/evaluation for disability claims, custody claims, or other legal proceedings
- Psychological testing for learning disabilities, ADHD, or neurological conditions
- Documentation for Emotional Support Animals (ESA)
- Intensive outpatient therapy or a situation where students have a desire or need to be seen more frequently than the CCW resources can provide (e.g., regularly scheduled individual sessions which occur more than once per week, and/or have a duration longer than 1 hour)
- Couples/Family therapy
- Therapy services for students who are not currently enrolled in classes, due to graduation, withdrawal, or dismissal from the University.
- Therapy/evaluation that is court-ordered or required by any non-University judicial body
- Detox/rehab treatment for individuals with chemical dependency
- Intensive ongoing case management services; for example, daily phone check-ins or daily medication management.
- A situation in which a client has a severe mental health concern, AND, based on available treatment guidelines, clinical knowledge/experience, and professional standards of practice, we believe that this severe mental health concern cannot be treated at CCW without risking probable further deterioration of a person's health and safety.
- A situation in which a student demonstrates a serious lack of motivation or engagement in treatment as demonstrated by poor compliance with treatment or inconsistent attendance.
- A situation in which a student engages in inappropriate, harassing, menacing, threatening, or violent behavior toward staff. Any incidence that violates University policy will be reported to the appropriate authorities.
- CCW cannot contact students who are not our clients with the intention of encouraging them to seek services here.
Consulting Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Services
It is the policy of the CCW that any student who wishes to meet with the consulting psychiatric nurse practitioner must be engaged in ongoing counseling at the center. Students may be referred any time by their CCW counselor. Our consulting nurse practitioner meets with students on the first Friday of each month at the center. The consulting nurse practitioner may also refer students for services that are not part of the CCW nurse practitioner's scope of care. More information regarding psychiatric services is available on request.
Please note, emergency psychiatric services are not available. Walk-In students seeking medication refills or experiencing an urgent need for psychiatric evaluation will be referred or otherwise assisted according to their needs.
For emergency mental health services please call 911.
Referral to Community Resources
The Counseling Center for Wellness will provide a student with an external referral if the student would be better served by an outside counselor/resource. The counselor will assist in a smooth transition.
Some of the concerns that are commonly addressed through referral to services outside of the Counseling Center for Wellness include:
- Need for intensive outpatient therapy.
- Presence of significant drug or alcohol problems such as substance dependence and/or past failed treatments; a need for drug testing
- Presence of significant or long-standing eating disorder symptoms with no period of remission or that may pose a medical danger
- Request for formal psychological assessment (e.g., ADHD or psychoeducational evaluations)
- Request for medications not prescribed by the consulting psychiatric nurse practitioner
- Request for psychological evaluation for the purpose of employment clearance
- Request for services to fulfill students’ court-mandated assessment or treatment requirements
The general guidelines listed above are only intended to serve as a guide to assist treatment decisions. The nature and complexity of presenting concerns and the broader context are considered in making the appropriate treatment recommendation(s). Cases are evaluated individually, and the professional judgment of the mental health provider(s) will determine the best treatment option for each student.
1.10.2020
In accordance with legal and ethical standards for psychologists, all counseling sessions with students over 18 years of age are confidential. Counselors cannot disclose whether a student is receiving counseling services or make any disclosures about the content of sessions without the written consent of the student receiving services.
State and federal law states that there are exceptions to confidentiality, as follows:
1) Imminent danger of serious harm to self
2) Imminent danger of serious harm to others
3) In cases involving physical and/or sexual abuse of children or endangered adults
4) If requested by subpoena or mandated court order
If you have any additional questions or concerns about confidentiality please talk with a counselor or call the Wellness Center (610-358-4263).
Individual Counseling
Counseling services at Neumann University are free to all undergraduate Neumann students and confidential within the confines of the law. Students initially meet with a counselor for an intake assessment to discuss their presenting concerns and to determine the type of services which will best meet their needs.
Services for the Neumann Community
In addition to personal counseling, The Center offers a variety of other services to the Neumann Community. The staff is available to faculty and staff for consultation services to discuss issues as they pertain to students. Additionally, the CCW offers appointments with a Nurse Practitioner, who specializes in psychiatric medications, and the campus dietician, who offers nutrition counseling. Students must be referred to these services by their counselor.
Group Counseling (currently offered groups):
What is Group Counseling?
Group counseling and support groups are often the most effective counseling intervention. The Counseling Center offers a range of counseling groups, support groups, and structured workshops which align with the needs of the Neumann community.
Group counseling allows undergraduate students to:
- Talk confidentially about your concerns
- Share your feelings and hear the experiences of others
- Explore your identity and how the Neumann community meets your needs
- Develop alternative ways of looking at personal problems
- Discover new ways to manage your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
- Renew your sense of hope and ability to resolve challenges in your life
- Learn about yourself and new ways of relating to others
Each group member decides how much they want to share. Because of the climate of trust within the group, members feel free to care about and help each other.
To preserve therapeutic value, a clinical counseling group is limited to 5 – 12 participants. Support groups do not have a minimum number of participants.
Talk Now
All Neumann University undergraduate and graduate students can also access Talk Now at www.NUCare.care using their phone or laptop anytime, anywhere, 24 hours a day/7days a week (including break periods and holidays). First create a user profile at www.NUcare.care, they simply have to select the “TALK NOW” icon to be connected remotely to a mental health provider.
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Our Counseling Center for Wellness staff is comprised of board-certified master-level providers and master-level interns that practice as generalists, which allows us to work with a wide variety of needs. We provide positive and supportive treatment that is designed to focus on the student's overall wellness.
Staff:
Georgette Hall-Peterson, Director, ext. 4540
610-358-4541
610-358-4264
To make an appointment, please visit the center at 603B Convent Road during regular business hours (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.) Monday through Friday. Once you arrive you will be greeted and asked to complete an intake form with some general background information. We will make every effort to schedule a convenient appointment for you with a campus counselor within 24 hours of you completing an intake form.
For general questions, please feel free to contact the Counseling Center for Wellness by calling 610-358-4263 or stopping in for a visit.
