Student Counseling Services, which offers individual and group therapy as well as other services to the student population, has seen a 10 percent increase in demand for services each year for the past five years.

The increased demand has multiple probable causes, said Jeffrey Ellens, outreach coordinator and psychologist with SCS.

He said it’s likely that with record enrollment, much of the increase is due to a larger number of students on campus. The trend mirrors a national increase of counseling use by university students.

There is also less stigma surrounding mental health services, Ellens said. Students who may have been embarrassed to seek mental health services in the past may feel more confident in doing so today.

Counseling for younger people is also improving, making students with pre-existing conditions more able to attend college where they perhaps require additional counseling, Ellens said.

“From the statistics that we calculate, one of the things we know is students who receive our services are 16 percent more likely to graduate than students who don’t receive counseling services,” Ellens said.

With demand increasing at a steady rate, SCS employees use several strategies to ensure students are still receiving the care they need.

“I really don’t know that the students themselves would feel the impact [of increased demand on counseling services]. That’s part of our job as professionals, to absorb that for the students,” Ellens said. “For example, we don’t shorten therapy or limit their access to services just because we have high demand.”

Students may visit the SCS office on the third floor of the Student Services building or call 294-5056 to make initial contact with counseling and set up a screening appointment.

After a time is set, students will undergo an initial screening appointment to help them find the best form of counseling for their needs.

Students may always contact SCS with an immediate crisis and will be seen the same day, as counselors have times set aside to meet with urgent cases. The wait to see a counselor is often shorter for ISU services than in the outside mental health field.

“My job here, and part of our mission statement, is that we want to help students be successful here at Iowa State,” Ellens said.

SCS offers a variety of individual and group therapy sessions, a new biofeedback therapy program that can help with stress or anxiety among other issues and other therapy options.

There are currently 13 to 14 ongoing group therapy sessions and 96 percent of students receiving any type of therapy from SCS said they found therapy helpful.

SCS also offers career counseling, a short series of meetings that can help students discover the career path most applicable to them.

While the average ISU student changes his or her major three times, 90 percent of students who undergo career counseling never change their major after their sessions are complete.

“People are prioritizing their mental health and thus becoming healthier,” Ellens said. “We must be doing something right, as our demand is rising and we’re always seeking ways to improve what we do.”