Counseling FAQs

The simple definition: “Counseling is a way to get confidential help for problems or concerns from a trained professional.”

A more formal definition: “Counseling is a cooperative process in which a trained professional helps the student identify the sources of difficulties or concerns that they are experiencing. Together they develop ways to deal with and overcome these problems, so the person has new skills and increased understanding of themselves and others. The effectiveness of counseling is measured by student’s increased ability to function successfully at Linfield University and in other important areas of their lives.

• Difficulties with friends or family members
• Missing friends at home
• How to do better in courses
• Feelings of sadness, depression, moodiness or irritability
• Concerns about alcohol or drug use
• Difficulty sleeping, or sleeping too much
• Questions about body image and diet
• Issues with food: eating too much or too little
• Concerns with self-esteem
• Feelings of anxiety and/or fear
• Lack of clarity on an educational or career direction
• Anger management
• Difficulties in romantic relationships
• Unwanted habits
• Questions about whether to remain in university
• Feelings of always being "stressed out"
• Issues related to having been sexually abused, harassed, or assaulted, either recently or in the past
• Questions about sexual orientation

If a student’s problem or concern is something the counselor is unable to help with or if the student’s concerns require services beyond what The Student Health, Wellness & Counseling Center can reasonably provide, the counselor will refer the student to an appropriate off-campus resource. Another reason for a referral to a provider off-campus is a personal preference on the part of the student and again the counselor will assist the student to access a qualified off-campus resource.

Treatment is tailored to the individual needs of the student. These can be “developmental” or “psychological” in nature. Examples of developmental concerns include homesickness, choosing an appropriate major and a future career direction, learning or improving interpersonal and communication skills, and developing one’s own identity separate from family.

Examples of psychological concerns include depression and low self-esteem, recovering from traumatic incidents, eating disorders, anxiety, and substance abuse.

Undergraduate and graduate students who are currently enrolled in in-person classes on the McMinnville campus may see a counselor for no cost.

University employees, alumni, and community members are not eligible to receive counseling services through the Student Health, Wellness, & Counseling. Instead, the University offers an employee assistance program for faculty and staff members.

Information on this service is available from the Linfield University Human Resources office (503)-883-2594.

Student Health, Wellness, & Counseling also maintains a list of community resources and mental health practitioners available to provide mental health and related services to residents of McMinnville and neighboring communities.

The counseling staff will always try to see a student who comes to Walker 103 with an urgent problem immediately.

For non-urgent situations, the best way to schedule an appointment is by calling (503)-883–2535 or by coming to the office in Walker 103. The student will be asked to provide some information such as name, campus address and phone number, and why they are seeking counseling.

A first appointment is typically fifty minutes long and appointments are usually scheduled on the hour.

It may also be possible to see a counselor on a walk-in basis but this will depend on whether a staff member is available immediately. If a counselor is not available, the student will be offered an appointment time within the next day or two.

The counselors are able to consult with students worried about someone else and provide advice on possible options for how to help the other person.
Examples include someone worried about a roommate’s alcohol abuse, a sorority sister’s eating problem, or how a younger sibling is struggling with their parents’ divorce.

In most situations, what someone tells a mental health professional will be confidential. This means that NO information can be disclosed to anyone (including parents, professors, coaches, other Linfield offices, etc.) without a written authorization from the client

The rare exceptions in which confidentiality would not be guaranteed are:

• If the client is determined to pose an imminent danger to self or to others
• If the client is under the age of eighteen and currently being abused
• If the client reports abusing a minor child or senior adult
• If a court of law orders that information disclosed in counseling be made available to a specified party or parties

Except for the circumstances noted above, information about someone’s contact with Counseling Services will not be released to other parties without a Release of Information authorization form signed by the student. This written form will specify to whom the information is to be released, the type(s) of information to be released, the purpose(s) for releasing the information, and the dates for which the release is in effect. The student may revoke a Release of Information authorization at any time.

Information kept about the counseling someone receives from the Student Health, Wellness, & Counseling is not part of that student’s official Linfield academic file. Counseling records are kept separately in Student Health, Wellness, & Counseling under lock and key. No one except counselors has access to these records.

This means that counselors will not provide information that someone has requested counseling, is currently receiving counseling or has received counseling in the past, what has been discussed with a counselor, etc.

If a professor, coach, parent, friend or anyone else contacts us and asks for information, we will politely explain that we are unable to provide this information without a signed form from a client specifically authorizing us to do so.

Student Health, Wellness, & Counseling maintains a list of local mental health professionals and agencies and we are happy to share this information.

Confidentiality of e–mail communications cannot be guaranteed. For this and related ethical and professional reasons, counselors will not provide counseling services using email, IM, Facebook, etc.

If a student wishes to communicate with a member of the counseling staff, we recommend that the student make an appointment.

The Office of Learning Support Services (LSS) can help with these and related areas. The LSS office is in Melrose 020. The phone number is (503)-883-2562.

The Career Development office is located in Melrose 010 and is a good source of information on topics like choosing an appropriate academic major or career direction, finding an internship or part-time job while attending Linfield, writing a resume, and finding out about potential employers.

They also maintain an extensive career library with information on different career fields, employers, job search strategies and how to write effective resumes.

Individual and group career counseling as well as career testing is available to currently enrolled students.

Career Services also brings employers to campus to interview Linfield students seeking full–time employment after graduation.

The Office of Learning Support Services (LSS) can help with these and related areas. The LSS office is in Melrose 020. The phone number is (503)-883-2562.