The primary goal of the Counseling Center is to promote students’ personal development
and psychological well-being. Services are provided for individuals with a variety
of challenges such as personal-social concerns and life-planning issues. Experienced
professional counselors, social workers, psychologists, provisionally licensed clinical
staff, and supervised graduate level students assist students in addressing issues
that may interfere with their progress at the University.
Counseling is a process that requires participation from both the student and the
counselor. However it is ultimately the student who makes the choice for taking steps
toward healthy changes.
Due to limited staff and resources, we are unable to offer on-going counseling services
to University employees. However, consultation and referral services are available
by calling 417-836-5116. If you want to access therapy services, we are willing to
provide you with community resources, or you may visit the Mercy - Provider Listing to locate preferred providers for Missouri State University Health Insurance.
Personalized Care Plan
Each student who visists the Counseling Center will develop a personalized care plan
with a clinician. See the model below for services offered through the Counseling
Center.
Students who arrive at the Counseling Center without a scheduled appointment are given
the option to schedule an appointment for a later day or they can be set up for a
screening appointment for that same day if available. Screening appointments are a
brief 10/15-minute meeting where students meet with a case manager to determine what
resources, on and off campus, they might need to address their concerns. At this time,
students are also asked to complete a brief self-screener to assess for safety as
well as to help students gain insight of what their main concerns might be. If students
are interested in counseling services and/or resources offered by the Counseling Center,
they will be scheduled for an Initial Consultation to further explore those options.
Students who call or stop by the center ahead of time to make an appointment are scheduled
directly for an Initial Consultation with a case manager.
Initial Consultations are a brief 20-30 minute appointment where the provider will
review your concerns and discuss resources available to students through the Counseling
Center, such as informational and interactional self-help, peer support options, skill-building
workshops, expert assisted e-support, group therapy and individual therapy.
College students tend to have very busy schedules. Informational and Interactional
Self-help resource strive to provide tools and informational content students can
access and use on their own time to gain better insight of different topics, as well
as learn new coping strategies.
An example of informational and interactional self-help resource is Welltrack Boost
which gives students access to interactive CBT-based tools to help them assess and
understand their behavioral health, as well as develop personalized coping strategies.
Missouri State students have free access to Welltrack Boost when they register using
their university email, click the link below to register:
The Relaxation Station is the perfect place to practice mindfulness, view WellTrack
Boost skill-building workshops, or simply enjoy some quiet time during a busy day.
Located in the Counseling Center, the Relaxation Station is a private office where
students have access to a massage chair, a light box, yoga equipment, and mindfulness
recordings. Students can reserve individual 30-minute slots up to once per week.
Togetherall is a peer-to-peer mental health support community available online, 24/7.
The platform allows students to create an anonymous username and it is monitored by
licensed and registered mental health practitioners, called Wall Guides, to ensure
the safety of all members. Togetherall also provides a variety of self-help courses
covering topics such as anxiety, sleep, depression and many more. Missouri State
students have free access to Togetherall when they register using their university
email. Click the link below to register:
Mental Health Ambassadors are students who have been carefully selected and trained
by the Counseling Center to be able to support other students through peer support.
Click the link below for more information.
Skill-building workshops are a great resource to both gain insight regarding specific
topics as well as to start developing coping skills on your own time. We have a variety
of skill-building workshops available on-demand through WellTrack Boost:
Overcoming Anxiety (40 minutes)
Overcoming Anxiety for Youth (38 minutes)
Banish Depression to Rediscover Joy (50 minutes)
Resilience Skills for Everyday Thriving (37 minutes)
Harness the Power of Emotions (36 minutes)
Find Your Inner Calm Through Mindfulness (30 minutes)
The Journey to Purpose and Meaning (24 minutes)
Your Guide to Healthier Sleep (38 minutes)
Resilience in the Workplace (27 minutes)
The Counseling Center has also created content on specific topics and offers workshops
available upon requests through our outreach programs. Click the link below to learn
more about our outreach programs and how to request an outreach.
Body U is an initiative funded by the Missouri Eating Disorders Council based on research
at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Stanford University.
In order to access services through Body U, students need to complete an online survey
assessing behaviors and self-image. Students will then be assigned a personalized
online or mobile program based on their unique responses.
We offer a variety of options when it comes to group therapy. Some of our groups are
psychoeducational, while some are support groups and they are available to all current
students. If you are interested in learning more about what group therapy options
are available this semester, please click the link below and submit an interest form
if you would like somebody to reach out to you about it.
All current MSU students are eligible for individual therapy. Individual counseling
appointments are usually 45-50 minutes long and are scheduled on average every other
week or based on clinical needs.
In addition, our center can also offer specialized therapy and services when appropriate
such as:
Substance use assessments
Trauma-informed care
Relationship counseling
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)
Crisis intervention is provided to deal with situations which require immediate attention.
Visit Crisis Services for more information.
Consultation/referrals
The Center's staff is available to share its expertise with university administration,
faculty, staff and students. If assistance from other departments, professionals or
agencies is indicated, the staff will facilitate such contacts.
