Counseling and Mental Health Services 

New places, new pressures, new relationships—college life is full of transitions, and it’s normal to need support along the way.Whether this is your first time seeking services or you’ve worked with a counselor before, our counselors are here to listen and help you navigate your next steps. 

What We Can Help With

Individual counseling sessions offer a confidential space to help you explore challenging situations and build the skills to move toward improved mental health, personal wellness and success as a K student. Concerns we commonly support include:

  • Anxiety
  • Mild to Moderate Depression
  • Stress Management
  • Test Anxiety
  • Grief and Loss
  • Family/Social Relationship Issues
  • Self-Esteem/Body Image Concerns
  • Life Transitions
  • Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
  • Motivation
  • Perfectionism
  • Trauma
  • Crisis Support
Girl working at her desk surrounded by notes listing priorities

What to expect

Our counseling follows a short-term, solution-focused model, working with you to set and meet clear, meaningful goals, typically within a limited number of sessions. Your counselor may use brief assessments or evaluations to help you gain personal insight and/or track progress toward your goals.

Sometimes this work can bring up difficult memories or strong emotions. If this happens, your counselor will help you navigate them within the counseling process. While we cannot guarantee specific results, our counselors are committed to supporting your care and progress each step of the way.

Cost and access

Free for currently enrolled students. Brief, short-term counseling services are provided at no cost to currently enrolled K students. We do not bill insurance.

Our counselors are licensed in the State of Michigan, and counseling and integrated behavioral health services are available to K students located in Michigan at the time of service. If you’re located outside of Michigan at the time of service, we can offer consultation and refer you for follow-up with local agencies in your state.

Finding the right level of care

Our center offers short-term, goal-focused support—and we find that’s genuinely helpful for most students, most of the time. But we also recognize that some situations call for more specialized or ongoing care.

If your needs extend beyond our scope of services, our staff will work with you to find the best, most appropriate care and provide referral options. Our counselors can often assist you in managing presenting concerns and provide support until you are able to connect to the appropriate services.

When we’ll connect you with outside resources:

Long-term or Intensive Therapy

Our model is short-term by design. If your situation calls for longer-term care, we’ll provide referrals to off-campus community providers.

Mandated Counseling

If you need documentation for court-mandated treatment, legal proceedings, disability support, or ESA letters, we’ll help connect you with the right providers.

Substance Use Treatment

If you need long-term, intensive, or inpatient treatment for drug or alcohol use, we can connect you with appropriate community resources.

Formal psychological testing

The Student Health and Counseling Center does not perform formal psychological evaluations (such as neuropsychological testing, disability assessments, court-ordered evaluations, substance abuse assessments, or suitability for an academic program), but we can help with referrals and resources.

Higher-Risk Level of Harm to Self or Others

As an integrated health center, our counselors and medical providers work together as a team to help identify high-risk situations. Cases involving chronic/severe suicidality, severe self-injury, multiple psychiatric hospitalizations, evidence of worsening mental or emotional functioning, or active psychotic symptoms tend to require more intensive intervention. We’ll work with you to ensure you’re connected to the level of care and support you need.

Ending or Changing Your Services

You’re always in control of your care. You may choose to discontinue services at any time, for any reason—no explanation needed.

The Student Health and Counseling Center also reserves the right to end services if we determine that our services are no longer the best fit—for example, if a higher level of care is needed, if attendance has become inconsistent, policies are not adhered to, or if there are issues or behaviors that disrupt the therapeutic process. In any of these situations, we’ll work with you on next steps and referrals to a provider or facility that can offer the level of care you need.

Emergency Services for Mental Health

If a student is experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available 24/7/365.