For Parents and Others who care
Parents Play an Important Role in Adjustment to College
The primary objective of the Counseling Center is to help students with personal, emotional and adjustment problems so that they can be successful in college. We believe that you, the parents, play an extremely important role in helping us to meet that objective. Adjustment problems are a common and expected experience for most students, particularly for freshmen. Parents are usually the first to notice changes in their student's behavior, attitudes, or emotional stability that might indicate a problem. Talk with your student about your concerns. Let your student know that emotional adjustment problems are common among college students and that the Counseling Center can help.
Scope of Services
Counseling Center services are intended primarily to help students with short-term emotional adjustment problems rather than long-term, intensive psychological problems. If your student has been previously hospitalized or was in on-going psychotherapy before coming to UNT, our services will not be an appropriate substitute for those services. We can help with referrals for private mental health care in the local area. If you are unsure if the Counseling Center's services would be appropriate for your student, please call and talk with one of our staff about your student's situation.
Referring Your Student for Counseling
The best way to refer your student for counseling is to encourage her or him to come by or call (940-565-2741) the Counseling Center to make an initial consultation appointment. Initial consultation appointments are available daily or within a short period of time, though calling for an appointment or to let us know your coming helps in scheduling the appointment. During the initial consultation, your student will meet with a staff counselor to determine how the Counseling Center can best meet your student's needs. Following the initial consultation, your student will be assigned to a counselor for counseling appointments as necessary or referred to a more appropriate resource. All participation at the counseling center is voluntary, and we prefer students to call and make their own appointments when possible. On rare occasions, parents believe their student is more likely to come for counseling if the Counseling Center initiates contact with the student. In those situations, at your request, a Counseling Center staff member may call your student to discuss your concerns and invite her or him to come in for an initial consultation.
Counseling Services Free to Students
All counseling services provided to students in the Counseling Center are covered by the student service fees that were paid during registration. There are no additional charges for counseling. If there is a referral for a medication evaluation to one of the psychiatrists in the Student Health Center, there are fee's for those evaluations and follow-up visits.
A Note About Confidentiality
If your student is a client of the Counseling Center, federal and state law prohibits us from acknowledging that your student is a client or discussing his or her case in any way without specific written permission from your student. This law applies whether or not you have referred your student to us or have discussed your student's situation with us before he or she becomes a client. If you wish to follow-up with us after referring or discussing your student, please encourage your student to sign a written authorization form when he or she comes for counseling.