Counseling Services

UPDATE: April 4, 2023

If you are experiencing an imminent emergency, please call 911 or National Crisis Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

Muhlenberg College Counseling Services delivers customized clinical care that is student-centered, multiculturally competent and inclusive, confidential, and of the highest quality. In-person as well as remote sessions are available, they may be limited to specific days of the week based on clinical staff availability.

Our customized clinical care model will help students identify and integrate strategies needed to excel in a competitive academic environment. Although we do value the importance and relevance of strictly supportive therapy models, our expectation for counseling at the college level is that students will engage their sessions with the expectation of doing deeper, clinical work. This might, at times, entail taking notes during the session and practicing specific strategies during the week that will promote healing, emotional growth, capacity for intimacy, or capacity to bounce back in the face of significant stressors.  

We value the diversity each student brings to the counseling experience and recognize that social justice values can play a large role in therapy. Our shared clinical expertise allows us to address a variety of student concerns such as adjustment, roommate issues, performance, depression, anxiety, trauma, relationships, and substance abuse. Services include: groups, workshops, individual therapy (consultation or intake) and referrals to psychiatric services.  We also offer referrals for off-campus practitioners, longer term therapy or specialized treatment with a community provider, and/or collaboration with other campus resources. 

Counseling Services are governed by legal and ethical standards of confidentiality.  Any and all participation in counseling is strictly confidential.  Students wishing information to be released to parents, faculty, administration, etc., must sign a release of information indicating this intent. All counseling services are free for full-time, traditional students. 

To schedule your initial counseling session please go to your Student Portal --> Log in to your OneLogin Page --> Click on the PyraMed Health Portal Tile --> My Forms (at the top of the page) --> Select "Consultation Request Form" and fill out your information before submitting the form. Once submitted, a representative from the Counseling Department will contact you within 24- 48 hours (or 1-2 business days) via Secure Messaging (also located on your OneLogin), email, or phone to schedule an appointment.

Although the Consultation Request Form will be available on your Student Portal every day, it is NOT REQUIRED to be filled out unless you would like to schedule your initial session with a counselor. Once you fill it out, it will disappear from your Dashboard and will re-populate the next morning for your convenience. Should you have any questions or concerns with this process feel free to contact counseling office at 484-664-3178.

As always, Counseling Services will continue to offer urgent, on-call counseling 24/7. This can be accessed through the main Counseling Services phone number at 484-664-3178.

All counseling services are confidential and free for full-time undergraduate students.

Hours of Operation:

Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Closed

---

Confidentiality

Counseling Services at Muhlenberg College is governed by legal and ethical standards of confidentiality. Any and all participation at Counseling Services is strictly confidential. Any student wishing information to be released to parents, faculty, administration, etc, must sign a release of information indicating this intent. 

---

Connect With Us

Please feel free to contact us for more information or virtually meet our staff.

---

Counseling FAQs

Counseling Services will be offering a remote and In-Person custom clincal care counseling model. The primary focus of all sessions will be to:

• Assess risk if applicable.
• Assist students in enhancing the repertoire of available coping strategies.
• Provide students with the important emotional support needed at this time and to assist in identifying potential support systems.
• Provide referrals where applicable.
• Access crisis services if needed.

What are the specifics of the Customized Care Model?

• There will be no limits placed on how many times a student may access counseling.
• Counseling sessions will be approximately 45-50 minutes in length.
• Counseling can be conducted either remotely, via secure video conferencing, or in-person at the Counseling Center.
• Students may request a specific counselor with whom they have established a previous relationship or request an appointment with someone new.
• Counseling will occur within regular business hours 8:30am-4:30pm though other arrangements may be available as per agreement by the student and clinician.
• There are no changes to after-hours emergency consultations. Students can access urgent care 24/7 after hours by calling our office at 484-664-3178.

If I choose remote counseling, what is expected of me during a remote session?

• It is highly recommended that you find a distraction-free space.
• Furthermore, it is expected that you give the session your full attention and avoid multi-tasking during the session.
• Headphones are often helpful, but it is important that you are aware of your surroundings to ensure the session is confidential.
• If you are having trouble finding a private, distraction-free space for your session, Counseling Services has reserved a room in Seegers Union. Room 060 is available 7 days a week from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM.

How do I request a consultation session?

Students may schedule counseling sessions AND request after-hours emergency consultation via the primary Counseling Services number: 484-664-3178. Students can also request a counseling session by completing the online form that can be found either on the home page of the Counseling Services website or in their OneLogin accounts.

Should I transition to a therapist in my local community?

Students are strongly advised to transition to a treatment provider in their community if they wish to engage in regular ongoing therapy. The Shrink Space is a referral website Muhlenberg College has partnered with to help students connect with off-campus mental health care providers. Visit this website to search for providers who meet your particular needs.

What are the discussion groups offered and how can I be a part of them?

Please follow the link in the side bar to learn more about the different discussion groups we offer.

Will Counseling Services be offering any outreach?

We will be disseminating helpful strategies for students to consider throughout the semester. These resources may assist students in strengthening their resilience during this time of significant adjustment. Students may find these resources via our webpage, our Instagram account @muhlenbergwellness, and email.

Please feel free to contact us for more information or to virtually meet our staff.