Frequently Asked Questions

At the Center for Student Wellbeing, we pride ourselves in utilizing a holistic approach with our students. We know that life influences school and vice versa so we offer academic skill building strategies, career exploration and personal counseling to address the needs of students from all aspects of their lives.

Academic Skill Building is meant to focus on the educational goals of the student. We strive to maximize student’s individual growth and development by discussing and developing educational plans, proving support for Probation and Dismissal students and practice techniques that students can bring into the classroom to thrive, like managing test anxiety and learning study skills.

Some students are in an exploratory phase when they enter school while others have a career plan in mind, we work with both! Students that are uncertain about what major to declare can benefit from career counseling because we discuss the development of a career path, explore options and utilize self-reflection, work trends and other tools to support a student through this decision making.

We are all licensed counselors that can offer sessions focusing on the personal aspects of a student’s life that may be impacting their views of themselves, the world around them and their interactions or interpretations of these. Our services are completely confidential unless the they discuss anything that falls under the limits of confidentiality.

Confidentiality means that anything that is said in session, will stay in session between you and your therapist. The limits to confidentiality include reporting danger to yourself or others, abuse of protected individuals (disabled people, the elderly and children) and if records get subpoenaed by a court of law. Duty to report will be discussed with the student prior to taking any action.

Students talk to us about a wide range of things including (but not limited to): academic performance, depression, anxiety, sleep issues, stress, family or relationship issues, drug or alcohol use, suicidal thoughts, gender and sexuality, race, ethnicity and culture expression, and other developmental issues.

You will work with your therapist to identify your personal goals for counseling and tailor their approach to you and your goals. Your therapist will listen closely to understand your experience and help identify ways for you to move towards your goals. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to therapy because it is a personalized experience that is different for everyone.

Everyone will have a different experience with counseling because we all see the world in different ways and different services will be offered based on need. Students can choose to utilize our 15-minute Walk-In appointment or schedule a 45–minute personal counseling session; we use the necessary time to meet your goals even if that means scheduling follow up appointments.

An intake is the initial visit with the counselor where you can discuss your needs and talk about the services that are offered at CSS. You will be asked to complete an informed consent that outlines our services and grants us permission for treatment.

Due to privacy regulations, we can’t share any information about your treatment unless we have a written agreement that gives us permission to collaborate or disclose with others. We will ask you to sign a release of information if it is necessary for us to speak with someone involved in your care but you can request to revoke this release at any time.

We understand that not everyone is the right fit with each other, and we take student’s requests seriously. It takes strength and comfort to open up so we want to create an environment that would be conducive to this. If you would like to speak with a different counselor, you can let your counselor know and they can work with you to set up an appointment with someone else. We don’t get angry or offended when students switch counselors, though we do find it helpful to talk about why students want to make the change.

Group counseling may be an alternative or supplement to individual counseling. Groups can address a variety of concerns while providing students with the opportunity to meet with peers and develop coping strategies and provide peer support. We offer a variety of groups throughout the semester, those that are interested should sign up here.

Typically, the difference between them is the length of the session and frequency. A workshop often is an information-based presentation regarding a specific topic with limited student participation. In a group setting, the facilitator can guide the conversation while teaching different coping strategies.

No, sessions are offered for free for all current CCM students.

Yes, we offer students short-term personal counseling sessions. If a student needs any additional support, we can connect students with services in the community for consistency of care. The reasoning for this is that we know that your time at CCM is limited, you will eventually move on to pursue other goals and can work with someone in the community to continue supporting you on your journey.

We have a variety of resources based on need, our Community Resource List offers a variety of services including crisis hotlines, warmlines, hospitals, clinics, providers and even self-guided apps. If you don’t know what you want, it may be beneficial to have a conversation with a counselor to discuss your needs and connect with resources that are specific for you.

A crisis is a life event that a person perceives as significantly impacting their daily functioning. If you or someone you know is in distress, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or reference these resources.

The counseling process is confidential, which means that we can’t release any information about you except under the limitations to confidentiality. Your professors will not be notified that you have spoken to a counselor.

You can request an appointment by emailing couseling@ccm.edu or calling us at 973-328-5140.

Professors that are concerned with students can submit a notification to our office, but you are not obligated to speak with our counselors. Our services are offered on a voluntary basis.