All currently enrolled students at USFSP are eligible for counseling center services. You may call or walk-in to the Center to make your first appointment for an initial assessment. You will be asked to arrive 20-30 minutes before your first appointment to fill in paperwork. If you do not allow for this extra time you will be rescheduled.
Upon completion of the initial assessment, treatment recommendations will be made based on the needs of the student and the resources of the Center. Students whose needs fall outside the scope of our services are assisted with appropriate referrals to community resources.
Within ethical and legal guidelines, students can be assured of privacy and professional treatment. Staff members in the Center are licensed and experienced mental health professionals from the disciplines of counseling and clinical psychology. Psychological trainees, under the supervision of licensed professionals, also provide services in our center.
Services we offer include:
Students may often be faced with difficulties during their college years, which interfere with their academic, emotional, and social adjustment. The Wellness Center professional staff can help with most of these concerns through time-limited individual counseling that focuses on active engagement, increased support, and skill building.
Individual counseling can be sought for a variety of reasons including but not limited to: relationships, depression, anxiety, grief, substance abuse, and eating disorders. The number of visits a student receives varies, but we are able to provide up to 12 counseling sessions depending on the needs of the student.
Couples counseling is also available for students as long as both partners are currently enrolled at USFSP.
Wellness Center is pleased to offer group therapy to USFSP students. Group therapy typically consists of a small group of 4-8 students and 1-2 therapists, which meet once a week for 1.5 hours. Before joining, students complete an initial assessment with a counselor and have the opportunity to meet the group facilitators. There are no session limits for group therapy.
Groups offer an opportunity for members to meet others who have similar experiences and to create positive interactions. Students may join group for many reasons, including: enhancing support networks, pursuing personal growth, learning how to relate to others, increasing self-confidence, improving communication skills, gaining intimacy, and building trust. Group therapy is frequently the most effective method of addressing these and many other concerns as it allows students to learn about themselves and others in a supportive environment. Groups can also be utilized to learn new skills and information.
Current groups for 2012-2013:
Tuesdays: 1pm-2:30pm
Thursdays: 3pm-4:30pm
Local community support group meetings:
Alcoholics Anonymous http://www.aapinellas.org/
Narcotics Anonymous http://www.bascna.org/
Overeaters Anonymous http://www.oapinellas.org/
Al-Anon/Alateen http://www.al-anon-pinellas.org/
Psychiatric Services is one of the treatment options available at the Wellness Center. Services provided by our consulting psychiatrist include medication evaluation and management, diagnosis, and treatment planning. When appropriate, referral to the psychiatrist is made through one of the staff counselors.
However, a student requesting psychiatric services must first participate in an intake evaluation and disposition. A professional counselor will gather background information and discuss with the student the appropriateness of a referral for psychiatric treatment. Furthermore, students obtaining psychiatric services must be continually engaged in therapy services at the Center as well. If a student’s concerns are not appropriate for the Wellness Center services, community referrals will be given.
Wellness Center maintains a comprehensive library of psychological tests assessing personality characteristics, behavior patterns, coping skills, and career interests. Testing can also be used to help screen for specific problem areas (e.g., AD/HD, substance abuse, eating disorders). Services include the administration, scoring, and interpretation of tests.
These testing and assessment services enhance the effectiveness of other services in the Center by providing objective information about students. Psychological testing can help you and your clinician better understand your concerns. Psychological testing may be recommended to help focus the goals of counseling, to clarify difficulties, or to target specific problems areas. Testing may be needed during the course of your treatment or may occur as a separate service. However, more specialized assessment services (i.e., neuropsychological, forensic, academic accommodations, eligibility for services, fitness for duty, etc.) are not available at the Center.
If you are interested in testing services, please call and schedule an initial assessment appointment to meet with a counselor to discuss your needs.
What is Alcohol Innerview?
Alcohol Innerview is a program that takes students through a comprehensive assessment of their drinking-related behaviors.
- Easy to use, online format
- Completion in 15-20 minutes
- Guaranteed confidentiality for students
- Personal comparative feedback report and completion certificates
How Can it Help?
Alcohol Innerview provides immediate personalized feedback which:
- Uncovers personal and background risk factors
- Compares drinking patterns to other college students.
- Looks at drinking in terms of negative consequences experienced, money spent, and calories consumed
- Encourages use of personalized protective strategies and deep understanding of BAC (blood alcohol concentration)
- Explores how risk could be decreased if specific changes were made
Free Alcohol Use Screening:
At AlcoholScreening.org, you can take a confidential self-test to assess your drinking patterns and receive personalized feedback. You’ll find out whether your alcohol consumption is likely to be within safe limits, or if it may be harmful to your health, either now or in the future.
For no-nonsense, health-based alcohol information, you can visit http://www.alcoholscreening.org.
AlcoholScreening.org is a project of Join Together, a project of the Boston University School of Public Health.
