We offer five types of services to students, a commitment to accessibility, and the maximum confidentiality possible. All services are free.
Our services are confidential in accordance with the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct as well as Texas legal statutes. Confidentiality differs for those who are age 18 and older (Informed Consent--Age 18+) as compared to those who are younger (Informed Consent--Younger than Age 18).
We aspire to provide services that can adequately meet clients' needs while maintaining our ability to accept new clients as they arrive each week, and do so ethically and competently. Although most students need services during one semester or less, some need services for more than a semester. For all clients we typically provide sessions every 2 to 3 weeks, with the frequency varying depending on student demand for services, which varies during the year. For students who desire weekly counseling or who need specialized treatment, we can provide referral options, often within a few miles of campus to a provider who accepts the student's insurance.
The services that we offer are as follows:
During fall and spring semester, each student who makes their first appearance at Counseling Services will meet with a counselor during Walk-In Hours (weekday afternoons between 1:00 and 4:00) on a first-come, first-seen basis for a 20 to 30-minute consultation and assessment. (At other times of the year, the consultation and assessment is by appointment.) While in the waiting room, the student completes about 10 minutes of online ‘paperwork,’ which facilitates the counselor's understanding of the student and their need.
During the consultation and assessment, the counselor has three goals:
Most students schedule a 45-minute follow-up appointment to extend the consultation and assessment. The walk-in counselor and student will decide together whether that appointment and potential subsequent appointments will be with the walk-in counselor or with another counselor in the office who might be a better fit for the client and their needs.
Subsequent individual counseling is a common component of a student’s action plan. Other potential components include meeting with other professionals at the university (e.g., an academic skills coach in the Tiger Learning Commons) and engaging in specific self-care behaviors that can foster improved well-being.
View this video to see what happens when a student comes to Walk-In Hours for an Initial Consultation.
Common individual counseling options include, but are not limited to:
When two or more enrolled Trinity students experience unresolved conflict or wish to deepen their relationship, a counselor can work with them collectively.
Our psychiatrist will provide an evaluation and subsequent short-term psychiatric medication management at no charge for a student who is referred by one of our counselors. Due to the psychiatrist’s limited availability, referrals are limited to students who have never been treated with psychiatric medication. The psychiatrist's limited availability precludes offering evaluation or treatment for ADHD. Contact us if you would like to receive our Psychiatry Referral Guide or ADHD Referral Guide by email.
If the psychiatrist and student decide to add medication to the student’s psychological treatment, the psychiatrist will provide medication management until the medication is stabilized. (This service is provided on the condition that the student remains enrolled and attends counseling sessions according to the psychiatrist’s recommendation.) Once medication is stabilized, usually in 3 to 6 months, the student will continue medication management with a physician in the community at the student’s expense.
When the office is open, a student who is in crisis can contact the office and arrange to be seen that day. When the office is closed during fall and spring semesters, one of our counselors is on duty as the on-call counselor. An on-campus student in crisis can reach out to the on-call counselor by contacting the Trinity University Police Department (210-999-7000). The TUPD dispatcher will contact the on-call counselor who will respond to the student.
See the ‘If You Are a Student in Crisis’ webpage for additional information, including guidance for students who are off campus.