Counseling Services

HOURS OF OPERATION

8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; on-call for emergencies 24/7 at 740-427-5000 — ask to speak with the counselor on-call.

Making an Appointment

Call our Counseling Center at 740-427-5643 or come in to the office. Upon arriving for a scheduled appointment, please check in with the receptionist. After your appointment has ended, if you wish to schedule another, please check with the receptionist to do so at that time.

Length of appointment: 45 minutes

What you can expect: To be treated with dignity and respect, to be listened and responded to, to be assisted in creating strategies to meet your concerns and to be honored as a complete, competent, adaptable human being.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Kenyon College Health and Counseling Center is to foster the intellectual, ethical, physical and personal-social development of students.

Services

The staff of the Counseling Service comes from a variety of backgrounds and training levels. Every attempt is made at the initial interview to match you with a staff member or service that will best meet your particular needs. Decisions about who can best assist you are usually based upon the nature of your concerns, the skills of the staff member and the personal compatibility between the two of you. In most instances, students prefer to stay in counseling with the staff member they have seen at the first interview. Sometimes, however, the best course of action will be a referral to another person on the counseling service staff, or to a professional in the community. We will make every reasonable effort we can to help you find the best form of assistance for you.

In addition to meeting individually with a staff member, you may be involved in group counseling. Group counseling offers the unique opportunity to gain insight into yourself and others as you explore your concerns together. Personal growth groups and skill-building groups/workshops are also offered on such topics as alcohol abuse, assertiveness, relaxation training, self-esteem, anxiety and depression, academic effectiveness, eating and body image concerns and career decision-making.

Finally, you should also be aware that taped and written materials are also available to provide you with self-guided assistance.

Shared Responsibility

Your personal commitment to helping yourself is crucial to an effective counseling process. Counselors can help you only if you are willing to receive help, attend scheduled sessions, and engage in new ways of thinking and acting outside of the counseling setting.

If you will be delayed in coming at your scheduled time, or if you must cancel your appointment, please notify our receptionist, Jackie Presley, at 740-427-5643, preferably 24 hours before your appointment. If you wish to terminate between sessions, please call or come in immediately to inform your counselor. If you miss one session without calling to inform us that you will be unable to come in, your appointment time will be given to another student.

Your counselor(s) will make every attempt to be prompt for your appointment. However, there may be occasions when, due to an emergency, the counselor must delay or cancel your appointment. We regret the inconvenience this might cause you and, with your permission, will attempt to inform you of this change by email or telephone.

KENYON COLLEGE PROFESSIONAL DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

We provide individual, group and substance abuse counseling. If we are unable to provide the services you need, we will assist you in finding the appropriate resources. For counseling to be most effective it is necessary for you to take an active role in the process and remain open and honest in discussing your concerns. At times this can be difficult, and you may face feelings that make you uncomfortable. This is to be expected and is a normal part of counseling.

Everything discussed with your counselor will be kept confidential, except in cases of suicidal/homicidal intent, abuse, neglect or abandonment of a child/elderly adult/person with a disability, or when required by law. No information will be released to another campus office or individual without your knowledge and written consent. 

Counseling in our office can be short or long term, depending on your needs. In some cases, it may be appropriate to be referred for outside help or treatment. If at any time you decide to discontinue counseling, we encourage you to first discuss this with your counselor. We do not offer services during semester breaks or during summer sessions so sometimes there are gaps in services. If you feel that you would benefit from more continuous care, we can help you find those services.

Services may be terminated for noncompliance with the plan of care, failure to keep or cancel appointments, violent behavior, threats of violence, or if it is determined that counseling is no longer beneficial. Services may be terminated and appropriate referrals given if students needs are out of the scope of this office.

If at any time you feel you need help, do not hesitate to come in or call the office during regular hours. If no one is available in the office, call Campus Safety at 740-427-5555 in order to be connected with the counselor on call. Students may also utilize the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or text 4HOPE to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.