As part of the WCU community, we are conscious of the indeterminable number of events
and situations that occur across the globe and have a detrimental impact on our students,
campus and beyond. Whether or not these events garner media attention, impact each
of us directly or are part of a greater human struggle, we are committed to helping
each other navigate through difficult times and wish to extend our support to those
who may need it. We continue to be here to support our students and campus community.
We understand that the upcoming election may be causing increased distress. Please
see some online resources here.
Fall & Spring Semester Hours: Monday - Thursday, 8am-4pm(4-6pm by appointment only); Friday, 8am-4pm; Winter & Summer Session Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am - 4pm
Online Resource
The WCU Counseling Center has a new unique online service we are offering WCU students. Our goal is to enhance student wellness by helping students identify stress, anxiety, depression and other problems that can interfere with academic, social and personal functioning and do something about it.
Clicking this link (https://wcu.caresforyou.org) will take you to a secure website where you have the option of completing a brief online questionnaire. You can submit your questionnaire anonymously, using a self-assigned User ID.
If you do submit a questionnaire, a WCU counselor will review it and send a personal response to you over the secure website, which will include any recommendations for follow-up. You will then have an opportunity to exchange online messages with the counselor through the anonymous dialogue feature using only your User ID, or to set up a face-to-face meeting to talk to the counselor in more detail. You will need to log back into your account to see the message.
We urge all students to take advantage of this safe and easy way to find out if stress, anxiety or depression may be affecting you. The good news is that treatments for these challenges are highly effective and are available right here in the WCU community.
Services for Fall 2024 Semester (8/26-12/13)
In these uncertain times, it is normal to experience increased feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. If interested in mental health services, students should call the Counseling Center (610-436-2301) or come into the Counseling Center to schedule a triage appointment. If your call is not answered, please leave a message including your name and phone number and we will return your call as soon as possible. Triage hours are Monday-Friday, 1-3pm. We encourage students to schedule their triage appointments earlier in the day, as the appointments are scheduled on a first come, first serve basis and tend to fill up quickly.
Triage appointments will be occurring via phone and students will either be sent an email with forms to complete or complete the forms in the office. These forms must be completed in order to participate in the triage phone call.
During the triage session, students will discuss their concerns and options for counseling moving forward. Options may include: short-term individual counseling (either virtually or in-person) with a Counseling Center counselor, group therapy at the Counseling Center, or obtaining off-campus referrals for longer-term or specialized counseling via our referral specialist.
The Counseling Center's services are confidential, this includes any reports of sexual misconduct. Please be advised that due to licensure rules, we may be limited in our ability to provide virtual counseling to students who will be located outside of Pennsylvania.
If a student is experiencing a mental health emergency during business hours (Monday – Friday from 8 AM – 4 PM) and they need to talk to someone immediately, please call the Counseling Center (610-436-2301) or come to the Counseling Center office in Lawrence 241. If experiencing a mental health emergency after business hours, please contact: National Crisis Lifeline: 988, Public Safety: 610-436-3311 or Valley Creek Crisis Center for community help: 610-280-3270.
A mental health emergency is defined as:
- Suicidal thoughts with plan and intent
- Homicidal thoughts with plan and intent to harm another
- Survivor of a recent traumatic event (e.g., victim of a mugging, sexual assault, recent death)
- Experiencing hallucinations (visual or auditory)
Check out this "Am I in Crisis" Handout
We will also continue to provide outreach services. If interested in a workshop or training or having the therapy dogs attend an event your organization or group are hosting, please submit a request here: https://form.jotform.com/220254985831056 . Email our outreach coordinator with additional questions. We do our best to meet all outreach requests. Due to counselor availability, some requests may not be able to be fulfilled. We ask that you provide at least 2 weeks notice when requesting an outreach.
In Response to Race-Related Violence
The WCU Counseling Center condemns historical and continued acts of violence against BIPOC and other marginalized communities. We grieve the violent deaths of Sonya Massey, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and George Floyd, who represent the latest of many who have lost their lives in a relentless series of violence toward Black individuals and communities. We condemn the systemic intolerance and injustice experienced by individuals such as Christian Cooper, who suffered from harmful stereotyping and discrimination. We additionally condemn the ongoing harassment and violence aimed at Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders, including the recent deaths in Atlanta of Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, and Daoyou Feng. We strongly oppose discrimination, hate, and intolerance, and stand in solidarity with our Black, AAPI, and BIPOC students, faculty, and staff.
We recognize the relentless impact that prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination have on mental health and well-being, and we are here if you need to talk. Our department feels and understands the many reactions that can ensue from these events, such as fear, anger, and grief. We can join you in processing how systems of oppression and traumatic events impact your feelings, beliefs, and identities, and we can also help you connect to resources that feel safe and that resonate with you.
Though supporting our students who feel directly impacted by racism is paramount, we also strongly advocate for the antiracist education and allyship of all students, faculty, and staff. We hope that the resources on our Resources page resonate with the WCU community as ways in which we can both support those who are hurting and join together to facilitate a more inclusive and supportive environment for all.
Land Acknowledgement
A land acknowledgment is a "formal statement that recognizes the unique and enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories" (http://www.lspirg.org/knowtheland/). As such, it is the first step to a reflection process that will help us be more intentional as we move through spaces. We can continue to learn about and build relationships with the communities and the land we are occupying in an effort to continually support and work with those communities.
West Chester University is located on the traditional homelands of the Lenape (leh-NAH-pay) Indians (also referred to as the Delaware Indians). Here’s a good piece from NPR that offers a short history of the tribe as well as information about a current member of the Lenape tribe, who has spent the past thirty-six years studying Lenape history and tradition. Here’s a link to the official website of the Delaware tribe of Indians.
If you are not at WCU you may use the website https://native-land.ca/ to identify which traditional homelands you are occupying. As part of the reflection process, please consider doing your own research about local Indigenous communities to understand their perspective and how to correctly pronounce their names.
Mission
The mission of the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services (The Counseling Center) is to promote the optimal health of all currently enrolled WCU students through the provision of quality and culturally competent mental health services and education for the campus community.
We are a short-term Counseling Center, so sessions are limited; however, we also have a Clinical Case Manager to assist with off-campus services. We are also a training site, meaning advanced graduate students engage in the provision of therapeutic services to students under the supervision of licensed counselors. The Counseling Center is in Lawrence Center, Suite 241 -- it is a welcoming environment that appreciates multiculturalism and diversity.