Northwestern State University offers numerous amenities and benefits, including free counseling services for all students, faculty and even organizations and departments.
The Office of Counseling and Career Services at NSU provides counseling services designed to promote and enhance the quality of life for those seeking help. The Counseling Center welcomes all students and aspires to create a safe and supportive climate for all individuals.
Transitioning from one stage of life to another can be stressful and the Counseling Center recognizes that the stresses experienced during this time can affect academic performance, relationships and simply one’s overall quality of life. Seeking professional help from the Counseling Center can often alleviate some of these difficulties.
The services available at the Counseling Center can be provided in several ways, including individual, group and couples counseling, classes and workshops. Consultation and outreach services are also available to faculty and staff, university organizations and departments. When appropriate, telehealth counseling services are also offered to students through WebEx, Teams, Zoom and FaceTime.
The Counseling Center believes that anyone can benefit from counseling. Counseling can be used for self-exploration and personal growth and does not necessarily have to be sought for a particular problem or concern. However, for anyone experiencing a particular difficulty in their life, including developmental, emotional or interpersonal difficulties, counseling is highly recommended.
Rebecca Boone is the executive director of counseling and career services at NSU and understands how it can be difficult for some students to decide to come to counseling services. “The decision to come to counseling is a hard one to make, and it is scary coming up those stairs and to this office, but I hope they’ll find, as many students do, that it’s a big relief to have someone that they can talk to confidentially,” Boone said. “Where they can focus just on themselves for an hour each week, talk about whatever they want to talk about and focus on whatever issues they want to focus on and get that added support and insight.”
Students questioning their mental health but not wanting to make a counseling appointment can complete the CCAPS mental health screen available on NSU’s counseling services webpage. This anonymous health screening will only be available for the student to view and can provide helpful insight into the state of one’s health. Whether meeting in person, via telehealth or by simply filling out the online screening, NSU’s Counseling Center has ample resources and avenues for students seeking their help.
