Counseling FAQs

The simple definition: counseling at SHWCC is a free and confidential way to get professional help with challenges, difficulties, or concerns you may be facing. Counseling is seen as a cooperative process in which a trained professional helps the student identify the sources of difficulties or concerns that they are experiencing. Counselors and their clients work together to work through and overcome problems, providing the student with new skills and increased understanding of themselves and others. The effectiveness of counseling is generally determined by the student’s ability to better function at Linfield University and navigate other important areas of their lives.

There is no cost for students to access counseling. Appointments are 50 minutes long and start on the hour. The first appointment will entail completing some intake paperwork prior to your first session. Appointments can be made by calling 503-883-2535 or SHWCC@Linfield.edu

• Difficulties with friends, roommates, or family members
• Homesickness and missing family and friends from home
• Feeling overwhelmed with the demands of college and wanting to do better in class
• Experiencing grief, including the loss of family members, friends, or pets
• Pervasive feelings of sadness, depression, moodiness, or irritability
• Feelings of anxiety, fear, or always feeling "stressed out"
• Concerns about alcohol or drug use
• Difficulty sleeping, or sleeping too much
• Questions about body image and diet
• Concerns about food, such as eating too much or too little
• Concerns with self-esteem or not feeling good enough
• Lack of clarity on an educational or career direction
• Problems with anger
• Fear of self-harm or concern for the safety of friends
• Difficulties in romantic relationships
• Unwanted habits
• Questions about whether to remain in university
• Issues related to sexual assault or relationship violence, including domestic or partner violence or harassment, either recently or in the past
• Questions about sexual identity

If the problem or concern is beyond what the counselor or medical staff at SHWCC can treat, the counselor may refer the student to the appropriate off-campus resources, including Yamhill County. Counselors can also help connect students to community resources over the summers or during breaks when students are away from the university. SHWCC maintains a list of community resources and mental health practitioners available to provide mental health and related services to residents of McMinnville and neighboring communities.

Counseling within SHWCC is usually shorter-term, typically averaging between 6 to 8 visits, along with periodic follow-up sessions as needed. There are no specific limits to the number of sessions available to students; however, more serious or longer-term concerns may be referred to more specialized care off campus.

Counseling is tailored to the individual need of each student. Therapy can be “developmental” or “psychological” in nature. Examples of developmental concerns include life transitions, e.g., starting college for the first time, experiencing homesickness, choosing the right major or future career path, developing one’s own identity separate from family, and so on. Examples of psychological concerns include depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, recovering from traumatic incidents, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.

Undergraduate and graduate students who are currently enrolled in in-person classes on the McMinnville or Portland campus have access to counseling at no cost. Note: only McMinnville-based students have access to medical services at SHWCC.

University employees, alumni, and community members are not eligible to receive counseling services through SHWCC. Linfield offers an employee assistance program for faculty and staff members. Information on this service is available from the Linfield Human Resources office.

The best way to schedule a counseling appointment is by calling 503-883–2535 or sending an email request to SHWCC@Linfield.edu. You can also come to the office in Walker 105. Student will be asked for some initial information, and for the first visit, the front office will provide paperwork to be completed prior to the first visit.

There is not typically a long wait to get an appointment unless you want to see a particular counselor at a specific time. After the first session, you can work with your counselor to set up the next appointment. If you feel like you need to be seen right away counseling staff will always work to get you in, often the same day. This may also include meeting with members of the SHWCC medical staff.

Yes. Counselors are able to consult with students worried about someone else and provide guidance on possible options for how best to help the other person. Examples might include someone worried about a roommate’s alcohol abuse, a friend struggling with body image, or how a younger sibling is struggling with parents’ divorce.

If two or more students are seeking counseling due to a conflict with one another, students will want to see a different counselor to avoid any conflict of interest. Counselors may ask you about the other party to help ensure this doesn’t happen.

Yes, with just a few exceptions. In most situations, what someone tells a mental health professional will be strictly confidential. This means that no information you share with a counselor can be disclosed to anyone, including parents, professors, coaches, other Linfield offices, etc., without a written authorization.

The rare exceptions in which confidentiality would not be guaranteed are:

1. If the student is determined to pose an imminent threat to the safety of either self or others
2. If the student is under the age of eighteen and currently being abused
3. If the student reports abusing a minor child, a senior adult, or other vulnerable adult
4. In the event of a court order that information disclosed in counseling be made available to a specified party or parties

If SHWCC determines that a student is at high risk for self-harm, the student’s emergency contacts may be notified, typically by the Vice President of Student Affairs. This may also include engaging Yamhill County Behavior Health professional or transport to the hospital for safety planning. SHWCC will work to engage other university offices to provide additional support, including Residential Housing, Care and Support, and Learning Support Services to assist with follow-up care.

No. Information recorded about counseling sessions within SHWCC are not part of the student’s official Linfield academic file. Counseling records are retained in a secure digital format and used only for continuity of mental health care. No one other than the SHWCC counselors, or medical providers who are directly involved in the student’s care, will have access to these records, unless the student requests that they be shared.

SHWCC maintains a list of local mental health professionals and agencies and we are happy to share this information. If a student wishes to communicate with a member of the counseling staff to discuss seeking off-campus counseling, we recommend making an appointment.

The Office of Learning Support Services (LSS), located in Melrose 020, provides academic coaching. This is a very helpful resource for newer students, or students entering more challenging upper division classes. If you are concerned about financial aid or have questions related to scholarships, you can contact Financial Aid office. Academic Advising can also help if you need advice on your academic goals or are considering dropping a course.

The Career Development office is located in Melrose 010 and is a good source of information on topics like choosing an appropriate academic major or career direction, finding an internship or part-time job while attending Linfield, writing a resume, and finding out about potential employers. They also maintain an extensive career library with information on different career fields, employers, job search strategies and how to write effective resumes.

Individual and group career counseling as well as career testing is available to currently enrolled students.

The office of Learning Support Services (LSS) can help with these and related areas. The LSS office is in Melrose 020. (503)-883-2562.