Freshmen Parents! Make sure you get your new Parents Calendar when you come for orientation

Parents Play an Important Role In Adjustment to College

The primary objective of the Counseling Center is to help students with personal, emotional and adjustment problems so that they can be successful in college. We believe that you, the parents, play an extremely important role in helping us to meet that objective. Adjustment problems are a common and expected experience for most students, particularly for freshmen. Parents are usually the first to notice changes in their student's behavior, attitudes, or emotional stability that might indicate a problem. Talk with your student about your concerns. Let your student know that emotional adjustment problems are common among college students and that the Counseling Center can help.

Scope of Services

Counseling Center services are intended primarily to help students with short-term emotional adjustment problems rather than long-term, intensive psychological problems. If your student has been previously hospitalized or was in on-going psychotherapy before coming to Texas State, our services will not be an appropriate substitute for those services. We can help with referrals for private mental health care in the local area. If you are unsure if the Counseling Center's services would be appropriate for your student, please call and talk with one of our staff about your student's situation.

Referring Your Student for Counseling

The best way to refer your student for counseling is to encourage her or him to come by or call (245-2208) the Counseling Center to make an initial consultation appointment. Students should call for an initial consultation appointment on the same day they wish to come to the Counseling Center. Because of the demand for appointments, students are encouraged to call early (between 8:00 and 8:30 am) for an appointment that day. During the initial consultation, your student will meet with a staff counselor to determine how the Counseling Center can best meet your student's needs. Following the initial consultation, your student will be assigned to a counselor for counseling appointments as necessary or referred to a more appropriate resource. On rare occasions, parents believe their student is more likely to come for counseling if the Counseling Center initiates contact with the student. In those situations, at your request, a Counseling Center staff member may call your student to discuss your concerns and invite her or him to come in for an initial consultation.

Counseling Services Free to Students

All counseling services provided to students in the Counseling Center are covered by the student service fees that were paid during registration. There are no additional charges for counseling. If there is a referral for a medication evaluation to one of the psychiatrists in the Student Health Center, there is an initial evaluation fee of $35 and a follow-up fee of $20 for each subsequent visit.

A Note About Confidentiality

If your student is a client of the Counseling Center, federal and state law prohibits us from acknowledging that your student is a client or discussing his or her case in any way without specific written permission from your student. This law applies whether or not you have referred your student to us or have discussed your student's situation with us before he or she becomes a client. If you wish to follow-up with us after referring or discussing your student, please encourage your student to sign a written authorization form when he or she comes for counseling.

Calendar for Parents of Freshmen Students

The Counseling Center has designed a special calendar for parents of new freshmen students. This calendar identifies sources of student stress which occur during a particular time of the year and provides tips on how parents can help their students deal with typical stressors and adjustment problems. The calendar also lists helpful campus services, advising offices, and other resources and highlights dates throughout the year which are of particular interest to parents. This calendar, which also presents beautiful campus scenes, was funded by the Texas State Parents Association. The calendar was distributed to parents of new freshmen students during summer New Student Orientation. If you did not receive a calendar or were not able to attend New Student Orientation, you can obtain your copy as long as supplies last by calling 512-245-2208 or by e-mailing us at counselingcenter@txstate.edu