The Iowa State Student Counseling Center is here to offer students help in time of need.

Offering confidential and free services to all Iowa State students, the ISU Student Counseling Center is staffed with caring professionals who are trained to help with problems both big and small, from a problem roommate to an experience with date rape.

If a student feels he has a problem, the first step, according to the center, is for the student to realize it takes a brave individual to acknowledge he needs help.

“I think that students need to realize that part of being a mature adult is to use your resources, and it is important to seek counseling; a student has no reason to be ashamed.

Unfortunately, most people wait too long to seek necessary help,” center psychologist Suzanne Zilber, said.

Once a student has made the important decision to seek counseling, he can stop by the center to fill out a brief information form, she said.

Zilber said students will be scheduled for a 20 to 30 minute screening, in which the student and the screening counselor will decide what program will be most beneficial to the student. If SCS services are determined necessary, a student may be scheduled for individual counseling, group counseling or a workshop, she said.

“We offer counseling on substance abuse, career counseling, couples counseling, depression or an anxiety disorder, peer counseling, pregnancy counseling, trauma, such as sexual or physical abuse, eating disorders, date rape or self-esteem problems,” Zilber said.

The services are offered to everyone who is currently enrolled at ISU. Once a student has a counselor, he is encouraged to set clear goals, attend sessions regularly, talk about his problems as honestly as possible and be prepared to try new things and ways of thinking to deal with concerns or problems, Zilber said.

SCS counseling is only for ISU students, but a faculty member can report a student to SCS who appears to be having a problem, she said.

Zilber said that SCS also offers Outreach and Consultation Services, which is offered to ISU faculty and staff as well.

Several outreach services that will be offered this fall include “Stress Management,” “Transitions; Becoming Adults,” “Diversity,” “Moods/Crisis,” “Eating Disorders,” “Career Awareness” and “Substance Abuse.”

Zilber said she is also optimistic that several outreach services and workshops may be added this fall, including one on “Being Assertive.”

“The career sessions are offered 11 times a semester, so that’s almost every week.

There’s a stress session offered every week. Depression sessions are also given three times a semester,” she said.

SCS can be asked to come to classes, residence halls, sororities and fraternities or anywhere else to conduct workshops.

“We have rating forms available at the workshops, and usually the [feedback] is very, very positive; there is usually a good rating on the quality of the workshops,” she said.

Zilber said all SCS services are free, with the exception of several standardized tests that may be taken, such as career placement tests, and if a student is required to perform a substance abuse program, there may be a fee for that, as well.

All SCS services are also confidential; the staff is required by state law to keep clients’ records confidential, she said. SCS never releases client information to anyone, not even parents or relatives, without the patient’s written consent. The only exception is if a student’s life is in danger, if there is a case of apparent abuse, or any other situation requiring assistance by state or federal law, she said.

Zilber said SCS has on staff 11 full-time psychologists, one full-time staff that is working toward a master’s degree, four pre-doctoral interns and undergraduate students working in the career library.

“All trainees are heavily supervised by our professional staff,” Zilber said.

According to SCS research, the counseling has heavily benefitted the students who received help. Students who receive counseling were found to be much more likely to graduate or still be in school as opposed to students who didn’t seek help.

“Providing support and showing concern is critical to retain students,” Zilber said.

Nearly 2,200 ISU students use SCS every year, she said.

Located on the third floor of the Student Services Building, their office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If a student has an after-hours emergency, they may call ISU Public Safety at 294-4428 or the Richmond Center at 232-5811.

The Counseling Center’s number is 294-5056. SCS also has a web site at www.public.iastate.edu/stdt couns info.