Question: Who are the personal counselors and what are their qualifications?
Answer: The personal counselor on each campus is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and can practice independently. LPCs are governed by the Virginia Board of Counseling, and the guidelines set forth in the Code of Virginia.
Question : Who can utilize personal counseling services?
Answer: Any currently enrolled TCC student is eligible for services. Currently, we are offering individual counseling for students, as well as workshops and training for students, faculty and staff. Group services will also be available when there is enough student interest. TCC faculty and staff are also encouraged to utilize counseling services as a consultation resource when working with students of concern. Faculty and staff who are interested in pursuing a therapeutic relationship can utilize the EAP services provided through the Office of Human Resources, or private practitioners covered under the appropriate insurance plan.
Question : What types of concerns would I refer to the personal counselors, as opposed to the other available counselors on staff?
Answer: Any issue impacting a student’s emotional and psychological well-being would be a good referral to the personal counselors. These types of concerns include stress and anxiety, depression, eating concerns or body image issues, grief and loss, self-esteem concerns, or difficulties relating to others. Other concerns well-suited to personal counseling would be identity issues, life transition issues, or family concerns. Sometimes, a student may know that something is not right, but may need some help identifying the problem.
Question : Is there any cost associated with counseling at TCC?
Answer: Services are provided at no cost to TCC students.
Question : How do I make a referral?
Answer: You can make a referral by expressing your concerns to the student and informing him/her about personal counseling services available. Sometimes it is helpful, if the student is willing, to call Personal Counseling Services while the student is in your office and have them make the appointment. This is best done in a confidential area, to protect the student’s privacy.
Because of ambivalent feelings or stigma regarding counseling, the student may not immediately accept the referral, but may keep the services in mind to utilize at a later date. If, however, you have concerns about the student’s safety, please don’t hesitate to walk the student over to the personal counseling office in order to obtain an assessment. If the student refuses to meet with a counselor and you have concerns about safety, please contact the Dean of Student Services.
Question : What happens after I make a referral?

Answer: If you make a referral, the personal counselor will note that they were sent by a faculty member, and will make assessments and recommendations as appropriate.
Question : Can I call the personal counselor to see if the student attended their appointment?
Answer: Because of privacy laws and ethical considerations, the personal counselor will not be able to share any information about their attendance or progress. It is always a good practice for faculty to follow-up with students directly.
Question : I keep reading about services being confidential. What exactly does that mean?
Answer: Confidentiality is mandated by law; these policies are in place so that students feel safe to share their concerns without fearing that this information will be shared with others
(professors, deans, parents, etc.). Because of ethical standards, a personal counselor will not be able to share information about whether he/she is in counseling or what issues are being addressed. This is sometimes frustrating to faculty, particularly when they refer a student to counseling. It is natural to want to “close the loop,” and to find out how counseling is going.
However, it is more beneficial to the student and the counseling process if this information is not shared with others. This also includes written counseling records and other documentation, which is not a part of the student’s academic record.
Certain circumstances (current child/incapacitated adult abuse or neglect, imminent safety risks, legal situations) provide exceptions to confidentiality laws. However, information is then only given to individuals or agencies that are responsible for helping to resolve the emotional crisis or to provide academic relief (e.g., medical staff, Deans).
Question : Should I encourage a student to seek ongoing services at TCC, if they are already seeing a provider in the community?
Answer: If a student is currently being seen by another provider in the community, it is not recommended that they also be referred to the personal counselor at TCC to address the same issues. If you feel that this would be necessary or beneficial, the personal counselor must be granted communication privileges with the other treating professional, according to the Virginia
Board of Counseling.
Question : Are there session limits in place?
Answer: Session limits are very common in college counseling settings, and are put in place so that counselors can help as many students as possible, as opposed to just a few students for longer periods of time. According to the national survey of College Counseling Center Directors
(AUCCCD Survey), the average number of attended sessions is 5.5, whether or not there are session limits in place. Generally, TCC personal counselors operate from a “brief model,” and will utilize their clinical judgment as to the length of the counseling relationship.

Question : Can students get medications from their personal counselors?
Answer: No. if a student needs pharmacological treatment, a referral will be made to the appropriate agency and may involve either primary care physicians or psychiatrists.
Question : What if I’m not sure about a situation and I want to get a second opinion or another perspective? Can I call a counselor for advice?
Answer: Absolutely. Personal counselors are happy to consult with you about a situation and to advise you on next steps to take if you are concerned about a student. Keep in mind that the counselor can take as much information as you are comfortable giving, but that they may be unable to share any information about a student, including whether or not they are currently seeking help.
Question : What if a student is talking about suicide or is behaving erratically, but won’t seek help?
Answer: If you are concerned about a student’s immediate safety, or safety of others, please call
911. If you are concerned about safety, but it is not emergent (e.g., you notice morbid thoughts in an essay, or receive distressed emails from a student), please notify your Dean of Student
Services as soon as possible; they will be able to begin the intervention process with the student.
Question : If a student writes upsetting things on their class assignment or talks about upsetting topics in class, can personal counseling help?
Answer: Students often will express themselves in writing when they are distressed. Oftentimes,
English or other writing professors are the first faculty members to be aware of a student of concern. Personal counseling can help by providing them with a safe space to process their concerns, gain perspective, and learn healthy coping strategies to deal with life’s challenges.
Personal counselors can also provide the student with other resources if more intense help is needed.
Question : How does personal counseling work with the Dean of Students to address student behavior problems?
Answer: Regardless of personal challenges that a student may have, all TCC students are held to the same code of conduct. Sometimes, a student’s personal situation or difficulty can exacerbate these issues, in which case the Dean of Student Services may make a referral to a personal counselor to address underlying concerns. The Deans also will consult with personal counselors, if there are more emergent concerns regarding a student’s behavior.
Question: What happens if I have a student in my class that I can’t get along with no matter how much I try and I am uncomfortable with the situation?

Answer : It is recommended that you discuss this with your Academic Dean as soon as possible; if this is a student conduct issue, the Dean of Student Services should be involved as well.
Personal counseling may be an appropriate resource for the student; it would be helpful for faculty to consult with the personal counselor in order to collaboratively come up with a plan.
Question : What do I do if a student is engaging in threatening behavior?
Answer: If a student is directly threatening you or other students, contact TCC security or 911. If the behavior is more of a subtle or ambiguous threat, or if you feel uneasy about a student’s behavior, contact the Dean of Student Services for your campus.
Question : If a student is being disruptive in class, can I have the counselor call the student to set up sessions?
Answer: Classroom disruption may or may not be a mental health issue. Personal counselors are not in a position to make “cold” calls to students; however, a counselor would be happy to consult with you about a situation in order to assist in decision-making. If a student is being disruptive in class, the best option is to contact your Dean of Student Services, as stated in the guidelines set forth in the student handbook. The Dean of Student Services can talk through various options with you.
Question : I teach classes at night. What happens if a situation occurs with a student after-hours?
Answer: If a situation is life threatening or emergent in any way, the best response would be to contact 911. If it is not an emergency, you can contact the Dean of Student Services on your campus and leave a voice message indicating your concerns. They will likely contact you in order to obtain more information and may also elicit the help of the personal counselor, if appropriate.
Question : What happens when a student with a problem refuses to see a mental health counselor and the problem continues and interferes with success in the classroom?
Answer: Because counseling is a voluntary decision, at times students will not seek help even when needed. One strategy may be to give the student other campus resources that he/she may be more open to utilizing (e.g., Women’s Center, Academic Alert Program). If the student is disruptive or otherwise engaging in inappropriate behavior, involving the Dean of Student
Services may also be an option.