Counseling Services

Counseling Services provides a safe and confidential space for students to discuss concerns, explore solutions, and foster personal growth. Services are available to all students and include individual counseling, group counseling, consultation and referrals, and outreach programming.

Located within Student Affairs, on the bottom floor of Virginia Hall, Counseling Services is open Monday–Friday from 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. for in-person counseling. Additionally, virtual services are available to all online and distance students.

Email Mental Health Counselors Jami Cantrell or Lyndsay Cayton to schedule an appointment.

Contact Us

Jami Cantrell, LCMHC 
Mental Health Counselor

Lyndsay Cayton, MS, LCMHC 
Mental Health Counselor

Why Students Seek Counseling

Some of the issues commonly addressed during counseling sessions:

  • Adjustment to College
  • Stress
  • Anxiety and Panic
  • Depression
  • Loneliness
  • Grief
  • Anger
  • Feelings of Low Self-worth
  • Relationship or Family Concerns
  • Trauma, History of Sexual Assault, or Abuse
  • Alcohol and Drug Concerns
  • Body Image and Relationship with Food

Benefits of Counseling

Counseling can improve the college experience in multiple ways.

  • Counseling sessions provide a safe and confidential space to discuss issues of concern.
  • Students become more able to cope with their current situation and feel more capable of dealing with future problems as they arise.
  • Students learn to manage their emotions more effectively.
  • Students learn to communicate more efficiently.
  • Students are able to learn coping mechanisms and techniques to lessen stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression.
  • Students are able to manage their emotions more efficiently and cope with their stressors, allowing for potential academic growth and greater campus involvement.

Appointments

Many students experience some form of anxiety when making or attending their first counseling appointment. We hope this section will give you some idea of what to expect during your first visit.

At the time of your scheduled appointment, expect to talk with your intake counselor for one hour. During this first hour, we will discuss your current concerns, gather some information about your history, and decide together on a plan of action. Depending on your presenting concerns, this plan may include individual or group counseling, or a referral to resources on or off campus; keep in mind that all you may need is that first appointment to map out a plan for yourself.

Virtual services are provided to students during holiday and summer breaks; however, the student must be enrolled at the college for the following semester.

Confidentiality

If you are a student who is receiving assistance from Counseling Services, you can count on the counseling staff abiding by professional ethics standards and state and federal laws that protect your confidentiality. Thus, all of the information you share about yourself—including the fact that you have even come to Counseling Services—will be kept confidential. Without your written permission, NO personal or identifying information about you will be released to ANYONE outside of counseling staff, including Lees-McRae faculty or staff, friends, and family members.

Exceptions to confidentiality may apply in the following situations:

  • If your counselor believes that you or someone else is in danger of harming yourself or others, your counselor is legally obligated to inform proper authorities in order to prevent harm from occurring; in such cases, your counselor may also decide that it is in your best interest to contact your family and college officials.
  • If you provide information indicating that a minor or an elderly individual is being abused, your counselor is legally required to notify proper authorities.
  • In rare cases, a court may order your counselor to disclose information about you.
  • If you are under 18 years old, your parents or legal guardian will have to grant Counseling Services permission to work with you. Your parents or legal guardian may also have access to your clinical record until you are 18.

Services

Resources and Emergency Services

Additional Resources

Mental Health Resources for Parents and Family >>
Mental Health Resources for Faculty and Staff >>

For after-hours crisis management, please contact the Campus Police and Security at 828.260.0505, a member of the Residence Life staff, or New River Behavioral at 828.733.5889. In the event of an emergency, a student should be taken directly to the nearest hospital.