Professional Master’s degree and Doctorate level counselors are available to provide brief mental health counseling to students free of charge. Counselors assist individuals and groups with personal concerns, interpersonal relationships, and mental health issues that may interfere with their success at Whitman. In addition to this service, there are a number of personal growth opportunities in the form of workshops and programs on various topics. All counseling is confidential, subject to legal and ethical limitations.
The center works on a short-term (5-8 sessions) counseling model. Counselors work with students to schedule appointment times and develop therapeutic goals to provide appropriate interventions and track progress. A Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner is available for consultations about psychiatric medication, prescriptions, and medication management.
Please note there are some student concerns that are not appropriate to address using a short-term model (severe psychosis, eating disorders, or suicidality). If the Counseling Center is not an appropriate, ethical choice for student care, a referral to a Mental Health Practitioner in the community will be provided.