Where is Counseling Services?
Health Services and Counseling Services are located on the second floor of Buchanan Kiewit Wellness Center. Health Services and Counseling Services share a common entrance with separate waiting rooms.
How do I make a counseling appointment?
Jenny Bonack, Administrative Assistant for Health and Wellness, schedules initial counseling appointments when students call (920-832-6574) or stop by. Return appointments are usually scheduled by you and your counselor. You may also schedule a return appointment by calling 920-832-6574.
Whom do I contact after hours in a crisis or emergency?
For immediate help, call 911.
-
Counseling Services (evenings or weekends) for psychological emergencies: 920-419-8167.
-
Security: 920-832-6999.
-
Residence Hall Director on duty: 920-419-6596.
-
St. Elizabeth Hospital Emergency Room: 920-738-2100.
-
Appleton Medical Center Emergency Room: 920-738-6300.
-
In other situations you may call Outagamie County Crisis Intervention (24 hour local crisis helpline) at 920-832-4646.
-
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255.
Who are the counselors?
Currently there are four full-time counselors. All of us are licensed mental health professionals. Our pictures and credentials are available on our web page and in the waiting room.
Scott W. Radtke, M.S.E., LPC, Associate Dean of Students for Health and Wellness
Deborah Wetzel, M.S.E., LPC, Counselor, Counseling Services
Kathleen Schiltz, M.S., LMFT, Counselor, Counseling Services
Matt M. Orbell, Ph.D., Counselor, Counseling Services
Are there certain counselors for certain issues?
We are all generalists who can help students with a variety of concerns. Deborah Wetzel can specifically help students look at the effects their substance use might be having on their lives.
When is counseling available?
Counseling appointments are scheduled Monday through Friday. Normal appointment times are from 8 am to 5 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and 8 am to 7 pm on Thursday. Walk-in hours are 1pm – 3pm every day and reserved for urgent psychological concerns.
Who may use walk-in instead of waiting for the next available appointment?
You may request walk-in if any of the following urgent concerns apply:
-
You have recently had thoughts of doing serious harm to yourself and may act on them in the near future.
-
You have recently had thoughts of doing serious harm to someone else and may act on them in the near future.
-
Someone close to you has died recently.
-
You have recently experienced a traumatic event.
-
You are having strange experiences such as hearing voices or seeing things that others do not.
-
You are very concerned about someone else who is experiencing one or more of the situations listed above, and you seek advice on how to deal with the effects of that situation on you.
-
None of the above situations applies. However, you are in acute distress and request to be seen.
How long will I have to wait for an appointment to see a counselor?
That is likely to depend on the time of the school year, the urgency of your concerns, your schedule, and preference you might have to see a particular counselor. We offer next available appointments to students.
What should I expect when I come for my first counseling appointment?
You are asked to arrive 20 minutes prior to the scheduled time of your first appointment so you can complete intake forms on a secure computer in the Counseling Services waiting room.
Forms are not reviewed by your counselor until the time of your appointment. For that reason they must be completed the day of the appointment. You may come earlier on the same day to complete the forms, and then return at the time of your appointment.
What kinds of intake forms are required?
The forms consist of a contact information sheet, a brief consent form, a questionnaire asking about your personal history and reasons for counseling, and a symptom checklist of your feelings and outlook. These are only required prior to your first scheduled appointment of the school year.
Why can’t I fill out the forms ahead of time in my room and bring them with me to my first appointment?
Counseling Services is striving to go paperless. We ask that students complete the intake forms on our secure computers. This keeps your information timely, increases its accuracy, and better ensures your confidentiality.
What if I already filled out forms at Counseling Services last year?
We ask students to complete new forms every year to help us better understand current situations and concerns.
What happens to the intake forms after I fill them out?
They are kept on a secure Counseling Services server that is accessible only to the counselors. Certain limited ITS staff members maintain the technical aspects of the program, but do not work with any identifiable client data. Intake forms as well as counselors’ notes are destroyed no less than 7 years after your departure from Lawrence University. They are not part of your educational record and cannot be accessed without your specific permission. No counseling records are contained in any academic, educational, or job placement file.
How confidential is counseling?
All your interactions with Counseling Services are confidential. This includes scheduling and attendance at appointments, what you talk about, your progress, and all records. Only at your specific request and with your signed permission, can we share information you ask us to share with someone you designate (e.g. Student Academic Services staff).
What exceptions are there to counseling?
If we believe there is imminent danger you might harm yourself or someone else we will do what is necessary to reduce that danger. This may include disclosing your name and circumstances to appropriate authorities.
If you provide information indicating that a specific person under 18 years old is being physically or sexually abused, we are legally required to consult with proper authorities for the protection of that minor. In rare cases a court order from a judge may require us to disclose information.
