
Please note: The Counseling Center is still available to support our students, faculty and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. We realize the current needs of our campus community are changing, just as the ways we can reach out to you are changing. Counseling Center staff are available to meet with students via video and phone session, text, and email. Counseling Services remote resources >>
Emergency Contacts
If you are in crisis or don’t feel safe,
please contact someone immediately:
|
Counseling Center: 724-836-9870 | Open Monday thru Friday 8:30am - 5pm |
Campus Safety & Security: 724-836-9865 (or 911) | Answers 24 hours |
Westmoreland County Crisis Hotline: 1-800-836-6010
For off-campus emergencies. |
Sexual Violence Awareness & Assistance: Services available to you on/off campus. |
Blackburn Center Against Domestic & Sexual Violence: 724-836-1122
For issues of Sexual Assault or Relationship violence. |
Residents should go to their CA or other Residence Life staff on duty. |
Counseling Frequently Asked Questions
What is counseling?
Counseling provides students a safe place to talk with an objective, caring professional who can offer fresh ways to interpret difficult situations. It gives students a chance to explore their feelings and learn new coping skills. Unexplained changes in behavior, mood swings, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, and difficulty concentrating are all indicators of a problem that counseling can help resolve–one that could affect academic performance if not addressed.
Common reasons students seek counseling include:
- Difficulty adjusting to college or other changes
- Stress, anxiety, or panic attacks
- Depression and feelings of hopelessness
- Problems with eating or body image
- Relationship problems (dating, roommate, family, work)
- Grief and loss (end of a relationship, death of a loved one)
Counseling can be for a specific problem, but it can also be for those wanting to better understand themselves or to make important decisions about their lives.
Most counseling sessions are individual, but students are also seen with partners, roommates, or family members. Psycho-educational groups are offered on topics of common interest for college students, such as grief support, stress and anxiety management, healthy relationships, and positive psychology concepts.
First appointments focus on problem identification and assessment, and student and Counselor work together to identify goals. On-going sessions are scheduled as needed with decreasing frequency.
How do I schedule an appointment?
To make an appointment, call 724-836-9870 or email GBGCounseling@pitt.edu.
The Pitt-Greensburg Counseling Center is available to all current students free of charge. Appointments can be scheduled between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday by calling or emailing the Counseling Center. Walk-ins are seen if time permits, and evening appointments are available by request. Students who are in crisis are seen the same day.
Is it confidential?
Counseling is completely confidential (with rare exceptions when there is a threat to someone’s safety). No information is shared with anyone on or off campus without the student’s written permission, and files are not part of student’s academic record. Regarding Title IX reports, Counseling staff are considered confidential resources and do not have to report sexual misconduct information to the Title IX Liaison.
Who are the Counseling staff?
The Director of Counseling is a licensed clinical social worker with experience working with young adults. This provides students with the same level of counseling as would be available at a private psychotherapy clinic. In addition to the director, the Counseling Center often has a master’s-level graduate intern who is supervised by the director.
Does the Counseling Center provide any outreach/prevention programs to campus?
The Counseling Center frequently sponsors mental-health related educational events on campus, makes presentations in classes or at meetings, and offers prevention-oriented programming. Students interested in helping to advocate for mental health awareness or decrease the stigma of mental illness can become peer educators by joining our Active Minds on Campus chapter. Contact the Counseling Center for more information.
What other information/resources can the Counseling Center provide me with?
Free handouts and brochures on a variety of mental health topics are available in the Counseling Center and on the wall display outside the office. Self-help books and relaxation CDs are available to borrow.
"Counseling Corner"
In each issue of the Families E-Connection Newsletter, the Counseling Corner offers some insight on what your college student might be dealing with at this point in the semester and some suggestions on how you can best offer support.
Adjusting and Homesickness
For more information on the following topics click on the links below:
Coping with Finals Week Stress (pdf)
Tips to Beat the Holiday Blues (pdf)
Resources for Faculty and Staff
The Counseling Center welcomes questions from concerned others (family members, faculty, staff, friends). We can discuss concerns confidentially and determine whether a referral is necessary. Referrals to local off-campus providers are made when appropriate. We can also discuss helpful ways to encourage a student to come to the Counseling Center.
Therapy Assistance Online
What is TAO – Therapy Assistance Online? It may be helpful to think of TAO as a private online library of engaging, interactive programs to learn life skills and to help you bounce back from disappointments or stumbling blocks in life. As you watch videos and engaged with our interactive components, you’ll gain the knowledge, self-awareness, and skills you need to achieve your goals.
You can complete TAO at your own pace, whether that’s just one session a day, or perhaps two whole modules. It’s entirely up to you!
Here are the steps to get you started in TAO:
- Click this link.
- Enter your name and email address on the enrollment form (use your university email address).
- Fill out the demographics and Informed Consent form, and click ‘Sign Me Up!’
- Check your email. You will be sent an email with a temporary password. Click the link in the email to login, and change your password to set up your account.
You’re ready to go! Watch the quick video to help you navigate the TAO platform. Each treatment program in TAO consists of 6-7 highly engaging educational modules, including interactive activities to help you learn strategies and skills.