ETSU’s Counseling Center provides free and confidential mental health services for all actively enrolled students. Through the services they offer, they strive to promote personal growth, success and engagement across campus. The Counseling Center is located on the third floor of the D. P. Culp Student Center in Room 326. Their hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m..
“We support students through many different pathways ranging from informal, self-help-oriented services all the way up to immediate crisis intervention to prevent self harm or harm to others,” explained Assistant Director of Clinical Services Kevin Smith.
The Counseling Center offers a variety of services, designed to fit individual needs. These services include personal counseling sessions, group therapy, workshops, Let’s Talk sessions, couples counseling (for two current ETSU students), emergency sessions and the BucsPress2 hotline.
There are currently three group options for the Spring 2025 Semester: Embodied Acceptance: Navigating Perfectionism and People Pleasing, Find the Path: A DnD Therapy Group and Understanding Self and Others.
There are also three workshop series taking place this semester: Attention-Based Challenges and Student Life Workshop Series, Roadmap to Relationships and They’re Going to Know Overcoming Imposter Syndrome.
Let’s Talk occurs daily and provides an opportunity for students to stop by at one of the various locations and have a short, informal conversation about anything the student wants to share or process.
BucsPress2 is a 24/7 mental health hotline for students. If you or another student ever need to talk to someone or are in an emotional crisis, you can call the hotline at 423-439-4841, then press 2.
For students who wish to receive ongoing counseling services, such as personal sessions or joining group therapy, a Needs Assessment is required. This helps the Counseling Center to better understand the needs of the individual student and pinpoint what services they can provide to best meet those needs. The Needs Assessment can also help the center to connect the student to specialized outside services if they are unable to provide exactly what a student needs.
“Students generally tend to set up an initial appointment, our Needs Assessment, but walking in is possible if they are experiencing extreme or overly intense distress like wanting to end their life, end another person’s life or having a panic attack,” explained Smith.
A Needs Assessment can be scheduled in-person at the Counseling Center or online.
“Help is a complex thing, and two minds can be quite powerful, which is a great asset the Counseling Center provides within its mental health counseling discipline,” said Smith. “Students considering connecting with the Counseling Center should try it out. Choose help and choose improving yourself so you can step into the world as best as you can.”
More information about specific dates, times and locations for groups, workshops and Let’s Talk, as well as the online portal to fill out the Needs Assessment, can be found at etsu.edu/students/counseling/.
