The mission of the Georgia Tech Counseling Center is to enhance the academic and personal experience and success of all students by providing a variety of counseling and psychological services to students and the greater campus community. The Counseling Center accomplishes its mission by offering services that facilitate students’ personal development, assist in the alleviation, remediation, and prevention of distress, as well as services that educate students in ways that develop self-awareness, self-reliance, and self-confidence. The Center is staffed by licensed psychologists, counselors, and marriage and family therapists, as well as predoctoral interns and graduate practicum students. The services at the Counseling Center are accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS). 

The Counseling Center educates students for life by providing a variety of services and programs that are consistent and consonant with the strategic plan goals of the Institution and the Division of Student Affairs. Services include short-term counseling, group and couples counseling, assessment, crisis intervention as well as outreach and consultative programs. Through our range of services, the Georgia Tech Counseling Center contributes to overall student success and the Institute’s core vision to “define the technological research university of the 21st century and educate the leaders of a technologically driven world.”

If you would like an appointment for an initial consultation, please come by our office on the second floor of the Student Services building (Flag building) between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. 
 

A Resource Guide for Georgia Tech Faculty and Staff

As a member of the faculty or staff here at Georgia Tech, you are constantly interacting with students. At times you may encounter students who are in crisis situations or who are under inordinate amounts of stress. You are more likely to see these students around mid-term and final exam periods.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR?

How do you know if someone is just going through a rough time or has real problems? Either way, a gesture of concern on your part might be helpful. "Going through a rough time" is a legitimate reason to seek counseling. There are also some clear signs that a person may need professional help. These include:

Moodiness: Feelings of helplessness, depression, social isolation and withdrawal. Suicidal thoughts may be indicated by some seemingly nonchalant statement like, "it just doesn't seem worth it anymore."

Problems with School: Poor classroom performance or erratic attendance. These may signal a deeper, non-academic problem, especially if it is inconsistent with the student's previous record.

Inability to Concentrate, Constant Worrying or Anxiety: Being easily distracted, fidgety, shaky; having memory distortions or lapses, having trouble sleeping.

Anti-Social Behavior: Verbal or physical aggression, being "out of control", difficulty communi-cating or relating to others, demanding so much of your time and attention that you feel un-comfortable or irritated.

Change in Physical Appearance, Mood or Behavior: These include sudden weight gain or loss, loss of interest in physical appearance or schoolwork, and mood changes, including a sudden lifting of depression.

Alcohol or Other Drug Abuse: Indications of excessive drinking, drug abuse or drug dependence.

WHEN DO YOU REFER?

If you notice that a student has one or more of these warning signs, you can show your concern and suggest a private meeting to explore the nature of the student's difficulties. For example, you might want to explore whether poor classroom performance is the result of academic difficulties, personal problems or some other situation. When a student's behavior is clearly disrupting the classroom process, the student needs to be advised that his/her behavior is unacceptable. Sometimes simply asking the person to change the behavior is sufficient. In some cases the behavior may warrant disciplinary action. (The office of the Dean of Students should be consulted in such cases.) If a student's behavior suggests physical threat or potential physical danger, the campus police should be contacted. They will send an officer who will respond in a calm, non-threatening manner. You can call the Counseling Center if you are unsure of which action to take.

Aside from the signals that may suggest the need for counseling, there are other guidelines, which may indicate the need for referral. Refer a student when:

* The problem or request for information is beyond your skill and training, or you feel that for some reason you cannot work with the student or feel uncomfortable doing so.

HOW DO YOU REFER?

When you have determined that a student might benefit from professional counseling it is best to be concise and straightforward in stating your concerns. It is helpful to use "I" statements rather than "you" statements. For example, rather than saying "You seem to have a problem", instead say "I am concerned about you for these reasons ___." Tell the student why you think counseling would be helpful and make it clear that this recommendation represents your best judgment based on the student's behavior. You might also want to tell him/her a few facts about the Counseling Center. For instance, the Counseling Center is located in the Student Services Building; all services are free to enrolled students; all discussions are confidential except when students present a danger to themselves or others.

Except in emergencies we respect the student's right to choose or refuse counseling. If the student is skeptical or reluctant simply express your acceptance of those feelings so that your own relationship with the student is not jeopardized. Give the student an opportunity to consider other alternatives by suggesting that he/she might need some time to think it over. If the student emphatically says "no" then accept the decision.

If the student agrees to the referral you can offer to help the student call to set up an interview. Students requiring immediate assistance because of crisis situations are seen on an emergency basis. Finally, you should follow up with the student at a later date to show your continued interest even if he/she did not accept your attempted referral.

In emergency situations involving students who are unwilling or unable to seek help on their own, you may call the Counseling Center. The Office of the Dean of Students, or the campus police.

WHAT ABOUT THE CULTURALLY DIFFERENT STUDENT?

The culturally different student may be: (a) the American student who is bicultural and sees him/herself as an ethnic minority, (b) the International student who is studying for a degree and may return to his/her home nation, or (c) the immigrant who is relatively new to the United States and remains culturally identified with his/her birth nationality. Students who are culturally different may feel isolated in the university setting. They often believe that they must handle personal problems on their own and may wait until their distress is acute before seeking assistance.

Because of cultural masking and our own inexperience and/or discomfort with people who are different, the initial assessment of distress is often difficult. For the most part, problems described in this brochure are also discernible in the culturally different population. However, difficulty in assessing emotional distress in the culturally different individual is compounded by differences in cultural norms of behavior, emotional expression, sense of privacy and personal discomfort with mainstream American culture. If you encounter a culturally different individual who may be experiencing distress, it is important to make some contact with him/her and express your concerns, just as you would with any other student. Although it would be helpful to be knowledgeable about the person's own culture, it is much better to reach out than to hold back for fear of violating cultural rules or boundaries. If the student does not accept your offer of help, you might want to suggest talking with someone else on campus, possibly someone who may be knowledgeable about the students' background. Remember to reach out to this person since he/she may find it difficult to seek assistance from you.

REFERRAL AGENCIES

There are a number of campus agencies that can assist students. The following are the telephone numbers of these agencies:

1.Campus Police …….(404) 894-2500
2.Counseling Center….(404) 894-2575
3.Health Center.……...(404) 894-2584
4.Dean of Students …..(404) 894-6367

In the Aftermath of a Tragic Event on Campus

Unfortunately, tragic events occur on college campuses. These events often leave many students, faculty, staff, and members of the college or university community severely traumatized. When this happens, providing some time in a class setting for emotional debriefing can significantly aid and accelerate the healing process. The following guide to emotional debriefing in class was adapted from a similar guide written for the faculty at Texas A&M University following the Bonfire tragedy in November 1999. This guide was kindly shared by Professor Stan Carpenter from the Educational Administration Department at Texas A&M.

• Provide time during class to discuss the incident and the students’ feelings about it. The students should be encouraged to express feelings in a supportive atmosphere as soon as possible. The professor might say,

“ I’m still (sad, shaken, upset) by the tragedy that happened on campus on Thursday. I’m glad to be with all of you again. How are each of you (feeling, doing, coping) with this?"

• Give the students 30 seconds to a minute to say something. They may need a little time to get the courage to speak. If students do not speak, remind them of your office hours, your e-mail address, and/or your willingness to meet one-on-one. Emphasize that talking about the trauma is a good and healing thing to do. If you share some of your feelings, it will encourage them to talk. The minor loss of instructional time will be insignificant because if they are having serious emotional reactions their learning will be compromised.
• It is also important to let them know that when events like this occur; our Counseling Center makes special arrangements to provide support to students who are affected by the situation. If they would like help or support, they should contact that Center as soon as possible.
• Remember that everyone’s story is valid. Not everyone has to speak.
• Emotional debriefing is not about establishing facts of the incident. It is about expression of feelings. Try to empathize with what students are feeling (Something like: "It must hurt a lot to remember that.")
• If you are able to identify students who are most upset, a referral to the Counseling Center would be helpful. When speaking to students, try to do so in a calm relaxed way and don’t worry if you cry in front of them. That’s okay. When the students finish talking, you can offer them a moment of silence. Suggest that they close their eyes and breathe slowly and deeply three or four times. If you are worried about a particular student, approach her/him privately. If you are concerned about your own reactions to the situation, consider seeking help. Give us a call and we can chat with you about whether you should think about seeking help.
• Some students who have had close involvement with the crisis may have very vivid perceptions regarding the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the event. It’s not uncommon for them to feel something is wrong with them because the memories of these sensory perceptions are so strong. You can reassure them that such feelings are not uncommon after a tragedy. You might ask:

“Others have reported similar perceptions and thoughts after such a tragedy.” Or, “It must have been so upsetting to (see, hear, feel, smell, taste) that.”

• Some students feel very guilty. They may have been close enough to the situation or victims that they believe there is something they should have done to prevent the tragedy or harm to some of the victims. They may believe that they should have been there to help some of the victims. To address this, you might say:

“After a tragedy, people often second guess themselves, and they are not sure they did everything they could. That’s a natural feeling of wanting to help others. It does not reflect what was really possible.”

• A future orientation is helpful. You might ask:

“What are you worried about right now?”

• When they speak about future concerns, you might be able to alleviate some of their worries with facts or other ideas and thoughts. Giving students a chance to share their worries reduces anxiety. You can say,

“It’s really too early to know all the facts about what is going to happen. But you help yourself to deal with this tragedy. Many people find that talking with others, spending time with family, connecting with ministers, rabbis, or priests can hasten the healing process.”

• After class, if students come to your office to speak in private, remember they are looking for someone who will validate their grief, not talk them out of it. Sitting quietly with them and letting them talk may be all that is needed. Share your own feelings about the tragedy. You might even tell them about other losses you’ve experienced if you’re comfortable with that. If you do talk about past losses, it is helpful to end by saying that for you there was a gradual improvement in hopefulness and mood as time passed. You can simply say that you hope they have the same experience of healing.

These suggestions were adapted from: Poland, S., & McCormick, J. S. (1999), Coping with a crisis: A resources for schools, parents, and communities. Longmont, CO: Sopris West.