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Counseling Services

A close-up of a student holding a stress ball in his hands during a counseling session

Counseling Services enhances students' emotional, social and intellectual development, providing consultation, program development and education for students, staff and faculty. We provide preventative mental health outreach programs for all of the university in the belief that concerns can be addressed before they become a problem for the individual or the community.

Our mission is to offer counseling services to students experiencing adjustment and psychological difficulties and to support the BSU community to help a diverse student population achieve academic and personal success.

Confidentiality is imperative. Counseling is confidential because therapy is most effective when a student can be direct and honest with a counselor, without fear that personal information will be divulged.

Why Seek Counseling?

Students visit Counseling Services for many reasons, including:

  • •    Feelings of anxiety, self-doubt, or depression
    •    A sense of sadness or hopelessness about a particular event
    •    Feeling lonely, overwhelmed, or unusually stressed
    •    Relationships (family, friends, romantic)
    •    Difficulty with motivation or procrastination
    •    Academic problems
    •    Difficulty adjusting to college
    •    Seeking support related to sociocultural identity or experiences of bias
    •    Racial trauma
    •    Sexuality or sexual orientation
    •    Health concerns (pregnancy, STIs, chronic illness)
    •    Changes in sleep or eating habits
    •    Problems with alcohol or other drugs

Cost for Counseling Services

Counseling services are paid for by student fees and are free to all BSU students. Those students who wish to use outside mental health providers should consult their health insurance coverage for mental health services.

Uwill is the perfect complement to our on-campus counseling center, especially for students who need after-hours and weekend sessions, or sessions in their preferred language. This does not replace our traditional counseling services, but will allow additional coverage and access for students with scheduling conflicts, or who prefer to try teletherapy treatment through this efficient online scheduling platform.

In addition to the teletherapy solutions, registering for the free Uwill service will grant you access to a host of great self help videos, including several on managing stress and anxiety, sleep and even academic thriving.

Get started by visiting the and registering with your BSU email credentials. You'll be able to connect with a clinician based on several preferences and schedule availability.

Togetherall logo - two chat bubbles

Togetherall

Togetherall’s online community is clinically moderated by mental health professionals, and offers students a safe and anonymous place to express their thoughts, concerns and triumphs. Students are able to draw strength and insights from peers that have real lived experiences, as well as access a range of self-directed, clinically validated tools to promote positive mental health and wellbeing.

Welltrack Boost is a free resource that is available to all BSU students. It can help you to understand your feelings of stress, anxiety and/or depression, and teach you techniques to minimize these feelings. Welltrack Boost is a self-guided and interactive way to manage your mental wellbeing.

To register for an account, download the Welltrack Boost app on the or and register using your @student.bridgew.edu email address.

This service is also available on the web at .

Counseling Services

Short-Term Individual and Couple Counseling

All registered 51Թ students are eligible for an initial consultation appointment with a counselor at Counseling Services. Some students don't need more than that one appointment. Those students who need or desire follow-up sessions are seen on a short-term basis (typically 1-12 sessions) at Counseling Services or they are referred off campus for follow-up counseling.

We provide counseling to individuals and to heterosexual, same sex, and transgendered couples. Counseling sessions will be provided at a maximum of one session each week.

Group Counseling Offerings

Each semester Counseling Services offers a number of therapy and support groups about a variety of topics.

Mental Health and Wellness Workshops

Counseling Services provides workshops and presentations on various mental health and wellness topics for students, organizations, staff, faculty and other campus groups. Our staff speaks on a variety of topics including stress management, relationship issues, eating concerns, substance abuse, sexual orientation and adjustment to college life. We are always open to suggestions and will work with you to develop a presentation that meets your club or organization's need.

Confidentiality

All counseling services are confidential. Counseling Services staff takes its policy on confidentiality extremely seriously. No matter who calls seeking information about students or alumni, the answer is always something like this: “We are not allowed to disclose any information about students without a written release of information from that student. Therefore, we are not even able to tell you whether a person has ever sought services here.”

That means that students can seek services with the confidence that no one will know their business unless the student gives his or her permission for the counselor to release information. There are only three exceptions to this policy.

Exceptions to Confidentiality

The first involves safety: If a student discloses to a counselor that he or she feels like they cannot prevent themselves from killing or seriously harming themselves or another person, the counselor may need to break confidentiality. That doesn't mean that students can’t talk about suicidal feelings or thoughts of rage. It’s just that if a person feels these things to such extremes that they can’t control themselves from acting out, their counselor may need to break confidentiality to protect a person from harm.

Another exception to the policy is when the student tells the counselor about someone being abused who is either under age 18, over age 65 or an otherwise dependent adult. In these cases, the counselor is mandated by law to disclose that information to the Massachusetts Department of Social Services.

The final exception to the policy is when a judge requires a counselor to turn over records to a court of law. This is rare and only occurs when students are involved in some sort of legal proceedings such as custody cases and law suits.

Informed Consent

Our policy about confidentiality is based on state law and the ethics of the counseling profession. We believe strongly that students should be aware of how these policies work before they begin counseling. This is known as a client’s informed consent. Counselors talk with students about these and other related issues in their first session.

 

 

Emergency Situations

For all threats of imminent harm, please immediately call 911.

24 Hour Hotlines

  • BSU Police Department: 508.531.1212 or 911 from a main campus phone
  • A New Day (Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Hotline): 888.293.7273/508.588.8255
  • Brockton Area Multi Service (Crisis Service): 508.580.0801
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800.799.7233
  • National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800.656.4673
  • MA Behavioral Health Helpline: 833.773.2445
  • MA Coalition Against Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence: SafeLink: 877.785.2020
  • MA Statewide Drug & Alcohol Information & Referral Helpline: 800.327.5050
  • Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988
  • Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741
  • For BSU employees only, Employee Assistance Program provided by Mass4You: 844.263.1982

Related Links And Resources

Student Crisis Information
Equal Opportunity and Title IX
BSU Police
CARE Team

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