Being in college is not without its struggles, but it’s important to not let them take over. Trinity Counseling Services is there to help students address these struggles head-on.

Trinity Counseling Services offers two main services for students: individual counseling and group sessions. Shelley Eisenberg, a counselor with Counseling Services, explained the application process for individual sessions.

“The way that a student can get connected with Counseling Services is that they can either call our phone number or email us at [email protected]. They’ll want to provide us with information like their name, their year, their availability [and] indicate whether or not they have a private space to conduct appointments,” Eisenberg said.

The entire application process, including setting up the appointment, can take up to two weeks. However, if the student needs to meet with a counselor urgently, they can indicate that.

“When students are initiating contact with Counseling Services, it can take up to two weeks to get an initial consult, so what we are doing by having students indicate if they are at risk is we are trying to make sure that if there is suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, self-harm, recent experience of sexual assault … whether we need to see them earlier …. We have space in our schedule to take urgent cases,” Eisenberg said.

Once an appointment has been made, the first session will be an exploratory session, as Lori Kinkler, counselor with Counseling Services, explained.

“In an Initial Consultation we would talk a bit about what led the student to request the appointment, do a risk assessment and then come up with a plan including what goals, if any, the student would like to work on in follow-up appointments,” Kinkler said.

If students want to continue sessions after that, they will most likely be working on some personal goal with their counselor.

“We provide bi-weekly counseling that is goal-oriented, so our counselors and students work together to come up with goals that fit best for them for treatment, and if students are needing more regular therapy, a higher level of care or just want more exploratory treatment that is a bit less structured, we can work with the students on getting a referral,” Eisenberg said.

As opposed to the individual sessions, Counseling Services also provides group sessions that focus on identity-based group counseling.

“We offer support and discussion groups for students. We have a trans and non-binary group, a neurodivergent group …. a queer identifying group for LGBT students … For Us By Us, which is a Black and African American student group, and an Asian and Pacific Islander group, as well as a COVID grief and loss group,” Eisenberg said.

When thinking about going to sessions, Trinity students should know that all counselors are completely confidential sources who help students navigate through their struggles, whether personal or school-related.

“[Counseling Services] is a resource that students could go to confidentially to get guidance and support and to collaborate with through tough times, [which] is essential to help people navigate their way toward graduation and to becoming an authentic human being,” said Richard Reams, director of Counseling Services.

And for any Trinity students who feel like they are somehow failing at the college experience because they’re struggling, Kinkler has some valuable advice.

“I would probably tell students not to get too wrapped up in the expectation that ‘college will be the best years of your life.’ That is really not the case for many people, and there is quite a bit to look forward to after college,” Kinkler said.