Parents

Dear Parents:

The college years are often viewed as the transitional marker from being a child in the family to being a young adult in the eyes of society. Some of you may view this transition as the natural and welcomed end of childrearing for yourselves and as the end of childhood for your sons and daughters. But for those of you who worry about your child's maturity levels or capacities for self-reliance and self-control, letting go of the teacher, protector and nurturer role is a bit more complicated. Of course, all of you will continue to play vital roles in the lives of your college-aged children. Indeed, the following challenges to your college-aged children--adjustment to college, effective career and relationship choices and the development of self-confidence and personal autonomy-- are all enhanced by their close relationships to you. The Counseling Center provides counseling and psycho-educational services designed to assist your college students further to meet these intellectual, interpersonal, and developmental challenges.

Students often will turn to you, if they are experiencing emotional or psychological distress or if they are faced with an important decision. If you find yourself worried about your child's moods or behaviors or if your child has experienced a trauma or a loss, your suggestion to consider seeking counseling can be very influential. Quite often your child will be receptive to the idea of counseling, in which case you can suggest that they call for an appointment at (773) 995-2383, or stop by the Counseling Center at CRSUB 190 any weekday between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM to set up an appointment in person.

Why Students Seek Counseling:

College students seek counseling services for many reasons. Common concerns include:

• Adjustment issues
• Difficulty coping with emotions (e.g. depression, anxiety, anger, grief)
• Interpersonal and relationship difficulties
• Health-related concerns (e.g. pregnancy, alcohol, STD's, problems with eating or sleeping)
• Concerns about academic issues (e.g. poor motivation, concentration problems, test anxiety, academic problems)
• Stressful/traumatic experiences (e.g. financial/legal problems, assault, harassment, death)

Depressed mood, stress, anxiety, and problems with academic performance are common concerns reported to the Counseling staff. Counseling helps students learn new coping skills, set goals, solve problems, make decisions, and manage stress but it also provides a safe and structured environment, in which, students can explore various aspects of their emerging adult lives - independence, values, personal goals, sexuality, intimacy, and friendship.  

Determining Whether a Student Needs Counseling

There is no set criteria for seeking services. Students wondering about whether their concerns are appropriate to bring to the Counseling Center are strongly encouraged to make an appointment to consult with one of our staff members.

As licensed and supervised certified mental health professionals, our staff is experienced in helping students who are depressed, anxious or have other psychological disorders. Although we help with these issues, we also work with many other student concerns such as loneliness or homesickness.