Counseling Services
Arkansas Tech Counseling Services provides professional counseling services free to enrolled ATU students. The professional staff is happy to assist our faculty, staff and administration with referrals for counseling in the community as needed.
Personal COUNSELING
Students seek counseling for a variety of reasons including depression, anxiety, relationship
problems, adjustment to college, decision making, and other needs. Counseling Services offers in-person or tele-mental health short-term, intermittent therapy. Short- term counseling is a good option when you
have specific concerns that can be addressed in a few sessions. If the counselor
deems that your needs cannot be met within the scope of Counseling Services, they
will assist you with a referral to an off-campus counselor for services.
New client
Info
If you've never had counseling before at the ATU HWC, you can simply walk in at Doc Bryan 119 or call 479-968-0329 to see a counselor for your first session. We call this a mental health consultation. You'll have an opportunity to talk about what brings you to counseling and the counselor will talk with you about some options for assistance, which may include individual counseling, group counseling, listening sessions with a peer, referrals to campus resources, and other self-help options. Hours for consultations are M-F 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m.
GROUP
COUNSELING
Joining a group of strangers may sound intimidating at first, but group therapy provides benefits that individual therapy may not. Group members are almost always surprised by how rewarding the group experience can be. Groups can act as a support network and a sounding board. A variety of groups will be offered each semester (see below) and all students are welcome to participate. Students may attend an unlimited number of group sessions. Groups can be a great way to work on your mental health in between sessions with your counselor.
Groups for Spring 2023:
LGBTQ+ Support Group
Thursdays, 3:30 p.m., Doc Bryan 247 beginning January 19, 2023
This group will provide a safe place for LGBTQ+ students to give and receive support
to one another. Led by a licensed counselor. For more information, contact Janis
Taylor at jtaylor78@atu.edu.
A weekly opportunity for students to learn more about what mindfulness is and how to practice it. All students are welcome. For more information, contact Kristy Davis at kdavis51@atu.edu.
Suicide Bereavement Support Group
Mondays, 4:00 p.m., Doc Bryan 119 beginning January 23, 2023
The Health and Wellness Center is offering a suicide bereavement support group for
students who have lost a loved one to suicide. This group will meet every Monday
afternoon from 4:00 pm until 5:00 pm beginning Monday, January 23, 2023 through Monday,
April 24, 2023. This group will meet at the Health and Wellness Center.
Nursing Student Support Group
Every other Tuesday, 4:00 p.m., Doc Bryan 247 beginning January 24, 2023
Every other Friday, 4:00 p.m., Doc Bryan 247 beginning February 3, 2023
The Health and Wellness Center is offering a peer-led support group for nursing students.
Receiving validation from other nursing students who are also experiencing the stress
that comes from being a nursing student can be very beneficial when it comes to normalizing
your own personal experience and learning new ways to expand your overall coping skills.
Social Skills Group
Mondays, 2:00 p.m., Doc Bryan 119, starting February 6, 2023
Do you struggle with making friends or building relationships? Is it hard for you
to know what to say in social situations or how to react to others?Come to this group
to learn skills to help in social situations.
There are no session limits for group counseling and it's free to all students. There
is no sign-up required and drop-ins are welcome.
Joining a group of strangers may sound intimidating at first, but group therapy provides benefits that individual therapy may not. Group members are almost always surprised by how rewarding the group experience can be. Groups can act as a support network and a sounding board. Other members of the group often help you come up with specific ideas for improving a difficult situation or life challenge, and hold you accountable along the way. See http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/group-therapy.aspx for more information about group counseling.
Outreach Programming
Presentations and other information sessions include such topics as stress management, test anxiety, depression, sexual assault awareness and prevention, time management, communication skills, and others. Please contact us at 968-0329 if you are interested in arranging a presentation for your group or class. We request that two week's notice is provided for presentation requests.
Off-campus Counseling referrals
ATU Counseling Services focuses on short-term counseling services for students, so we are happy to assist students and employees with finding a longer term or specialized treatment as needed. A list of community counseling and psychiatry providers can be found here. There are also many free pamphlets on mental health issues available in the Health and Wellness Center.
RElaxation Room
The Relaxation Room (formerly biofeedback lab) is a relaxation space in the Health and Wellness Center designed for students to learn and practice stress management skills. In the room, there are various resources for students such as stress management computer games, meditation CD's and cushions, essential oils, multi-sensory tools like sand and clay, and yoga mats.
The computer games (biofeedback equipment) allow the students to learn how to consciously
monitor, regulate, and change their body's responses to stress. Among its many benefits,
biofeedback training is shown to reduce stress, improve concentration, regulate emotions,
and increase resiliency. The space is open to all students and a private session in
the space can be scheduled by calling 479-968-0329, or stopping by the Health and
Wellness Center. Our staff is available in the Health and Wellness Center to provide
a tour and demonstration of the room if needed. Take a look at our promo video to
learn more:
