Can anybody come and talk to a counselor?
Counseling services within the Student Health and Counseling Center are available to all currently enrolled Davidson College students.

What can I come and talk about?
In a brief word, the answer is "anything." However, to be more specific, problems presented by students in counseling vary greatly. Below are just a few examples of the types of concerns students have presented in counseling:

• academic concerns
• adjusting to college/new environment
• alcohol/drug misuse or abuse
• anxiety
• communication
• culture shock
• depression
• eating disorders
• grief
• roommate problems and/or peer relationship concerns
• stress management

How much does it cost?
The Student Counseling Center provides short-term, brief therapy services to ALL full-time enrolled students free of charge.

Will anyone find out if I go to counseling?
With very few exceptions, the information you share with your counselor cannot be shared with any other person (e.g., parents, professors, administrators, etc.) without your expressed written permission. Depending on the clinician's license, he or she subscribes to the Ethical Standards of the American Counseling Association and/or the American Psychological Association. As such you can be assured that the information you share will be held in the strictest confidence. The only exceptions to this practice include:

• situations in which there is a threat to one's physical safety,
• threat to the physical safety of another individual(s); or,
• cases involving elderly/child abuse.

In such cases, the rules of confidentiality may be broken in order to protect an individual's and/or individuals' safety.

Where are you located?
Student Counseling is a part of the Student Health and Counseling Center and is located at the corner of N. Main St. and Glasgow St. (the entrance to the residential section of the campus).

When are you open?
The hours of operation for the student counseling are Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm. In cases when a student is unable to schedule an appointment during hours of operation, the student may contact the Director to explore alternative arrangements.

How do I make an appointment?
To make an appointment with one of the counselors, you can call 704-894-2451 or you may stop by the office during regular business hours.

Will you prescribe medication if I need it?
Please refer to the Psychiatric Services page for more detailed information.

What if I am concerned about a friend?
Ideally, it is best for the individual whom you are concerned about to come to counseling on their own. However,  there may be times when a friend is resistant to the idea of counseling. In such cases, depending on your relationship, you could offer to escort them for their first appointment. Sometimes, having such support is enough to get them the help they need. If they are still are resistant to the prospect of talking with someone from the SH&CC, you could make an appointment to consult with one of the counselors to discuss the issues with which your friend is struggling, the impact those issues are having on you and possibly explore some alternative ways that they could receive help.

What happens if it is an emergency?
If it is an emergency during office hours, you may call the Student Health and Counseling Center at 704-894-2451 and inform the receptionist that you need to speak to a counselor as soon as possible.

What if I have an emergency after 5:00pm or on the weekend, when the counseling office is closed?
During the academic year, when the Center is closed, a counselor is on-call and available for phone or face-to-face consultation/counseling during evenings, weekends, and holidays. The Counselor-on-Call can be reached at 704-894-2451. Any member of the campus community, including family members of the students, can utilize this service to address a student psychological emergency. Like all other counseling services, the Counselor on Call Service is fully confidential (within the limitations of imminent safety and NC law).

(Note: Emergency services are discontinued during semester breaks, once students are no longer in residence at the College.)