Information for Parents
Counseling Services
Counseling ServicesPerhaps your son or daughter has recently started counseling at our Center, or you believe they would benefit from seeking counseling. Counseling Services provides individual, couples, and group therapy to support the academic and personal growth of enrolled students. Our services are free of charge. We use a brief treatment approach and will try to resolve a student’s concerns as quickly as possible, generally in fewer than six sessions. If we believe on-going counseling would be beneficial, or we believe the concerns presented are outside the scope of our service, we will work with students to identify local community resources as well as help them access their health insurance plan. See Finding a Community Therapist.
Confidentiality
Our services are confidential, as governed by the laws of the State of California. If your child is 18 years of age or older, he or she "holds the privilege". This means we require a signed release of information prior to responding to any request for information about your son or daughter -- even whether or not they have been seen in Counseling Services.
How to Access Our Services
Any enrolled students may contact Counseling Services at (805) 756-2511 to schedule an initial appointment.
Treatment of Eating Disorders
We are available to meet with students who believe they might be diagnosed with an eating disorder. Generally, we will assess their concern and make treatment recommendations. In most cases, however, given the severity of many eating disorders and the need for longer-term treatment, we will most likely make a referral for counseling to the community. Eating disorders are generally best treated with a comprehensive team approach that at a minimum includes a therapist, nutritionist, and physician or other health care provider.
Substance Misuse Concerns
Most students will encounter opportunities to drink or use drugs while at college, or may be negatively affected by another student’s substance use. Parental involvement and guidance can influence the decisions and choices your student makes. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the first six weeks on campus are crucial to a first-year student’s academic success. With a great deal of free time, many students initiate heavy drinking or use during these early days of college, thus interfering with successful adaptation to campus life. See How Parents Can Help.
Good Books for Parents
On Transition
Letting Go: A Parents’ Guide to Understanding the College Years, Karen Levin Coburn, Madge Lawrence Treeger, 2009.
She’s Leaving Home: Letting Go as a Daughter Goes to College, Connie Jones, 2002.
Don’t Tell Me What To Do, Just Send Money by E. Johnson & Christine Schelhas-Miller, 2011.
Helping Your Student
A Parent’s Guide to Sex, Drugs, and Flunking Out: Answers to the Questions Your College Student Doesn’t Want You to Ask, Joel Epstein, 2001.
You’re On Your Own (But I’m Here if You Need Me): Mentoring Your Child During the College Years, Marjorie Savage, 2003.
For Students and Parents
College Rules! How to Study, Survive and Succeed in College, Sherrie L. Nist, Jodi Patrick Holschuh, Sherrie Nist, 2011.
Your College Experience: Strategies for Success, John N. Gardner, A. Jerome Jewler, 2011.
Chicken Soup for the College Soul: Inspiring and Humorous Stories About College, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger, Dan Clark, Jack Canfield, 1999.
College Of The Overwhelmed: The Campus Mental Health Crisis And What To Do About It by Richard Kadison, M.D. & Theresa Foy DiGeronimo, 2005.