VU Counseling

Post-pandemic, many students are struggling with their mental health, and Vanguard University is offering individualized counseling to those in need.

College students are meant to represent the future, and because of that, many feel an immense pressure to succeed. Vanguard University’s mental health counseling services, also known as VUCC, are able to aid students dealing with these pressures.

The Counseling and Health Center, located in Smith Hall, has offered mental health services in past years, but with the pandemic, their services are brought to the forefront.

Doug Hutchinson, Director of the Counseling and Health Center, said that everyone can benefit from counseling. The onslaught of troubling events has increased the severity and development of mental health issues.

In addition, isolation has taken away many healthy coping mechanisms, making it more difficult for them to channel their anxieties and other issues into an outlet. Counseling has been a way for students to process emotions and trauma in a safe space.

With the risk of COVID stopping in person meetings, the program has adapted to the current situation.

“Initially, we had to do everything online,” Hutchinson stated, “We learned how to implement a Zoom program and Zoom training for our therapists.”

Currently there are online counseling and telehealth (via Zoom) options which can be scheduled online for Monday through Friday and select appointments on Saturdays. These meetings can be individual calls, couples counseling, or group counseling depending on one’s needs.

VUCC consists of a team of trained therapists that are equipped to deal with student’s any mental health needs. The staff consists of graduate-level MFT trainees and Doctoral Practicum Students who work with the program’s Director and Clinical Supervisors to ensure the best quality of counseling.

For all sessions, Hutchinson said that there is an individualized plan for each student who comes, because they all have different struggles, backgrounds, and different situations.

The customization lets each student get the most personal experience tailored to their needs, and keeping these differences in mind helps the program’s therapists work with students to reach their intended goals.

While many may need help dealing with issues accrued during and post-pandemic, any student can attend counseling.

“Some people are needing any help to get back to a baseline if they’re struggling, and then some other people might be doing it for personal growth.”

The online counseling program has become an asset to many during the pandemic. Hutchinson and his team work to create an environment where students know that they can have help.

Students are given the option to connect and get the support that they need. Online counseling allows for all students, local and remote, to deal with mental health issues, and feel connected to the university’s community.

As the world settles into the new-normal, counseling is something that can remain a constant in many people’s lives. Vanguard University’s program offers that opportunity to students to better their mental health and their lives.

Visit the Counseling Center page on Vanguard’s website for more information or to make a VUCC appointment.