Counseling Services
Overcome challenges and thrive in your college experience
Services
The Counseling Center provides treatment to help students work through a variety of issues that may interfere with learning and personal development. While there is no cap on the number of sessions students may receive, services are primarily short-term. All services provided through the counseling center are offered at no out-of-pocket expense to students.
Services include:
- Confidential individual counseling
- Workshops and presentations to classes
- Prevention and awareness programming
- Referral for medication evaluation
When necessary, The Counseling Center may refer students to off campus resources.
Rapid Access
The Counseling Center offers rapid access hours to students for brief (15-20 minute) check-ins. This service is available to all students. Rapid Access hours are currently Monday and Wednesday from 1pm to 2pm. No appointment is necessary, but students may have a brief wait if another student is being seen. If demand for this service is high, more times will be added.
Scheduling
Counseling is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
If you would like to schedule an appointment, please stop by The Counseling Center located on the upper level of Cantrell Hall, call 276-376-1005, or email counseling@uvawise.edu. Please notify the administrative assistant if in a crisis or emergency situation to ensure immediate assistance.
Confidentiality
All counseling records are kept strictly confidential and are not part of academic records. Information is shared only with a person’s written permission. Exceptions to confidentiality are rare and include when a person poses a threat to their own safety or the safety of someone else or when it is ordered by the court.
Reporting Student Concerns
Mental Health
Treatment to any student for a variety of issues that may interfere with learning and personal development including crisis or distressed situations.
- Sara Schill, LPC, Director of Counseling - 276-376-1005
If unavailable then:
- Makayla Owens, M.Ed., Resident Counselor - 276-376-1005
- Zach Harmon, M.A., Resident Counselor – 276-376-1005
Threat Assessment
Any individual whose behavior may potentially pose a threat to self, others, or the campus community.
- Narda Porter, 276-328-0116
- Tabitha Smith, 276-328-0131
Other contacts include: Beau Boggs, Teena Fast, Stephanie Perry, Sara Schill, Whitney Wells, Candice Stadler, Kendall Rainey
Sexual Violence / Bias
Any reports of sexual violence/harassment, gender, race, national origin or other protected status bias
- Tabitha Smith, Associate Vice Chancellor for Advocacy and Opportunity / Title IX Coordinator- 276-328-0131
If unavailable then:
- Narda Porter, Title IX Investigator - 276-328-0116
- Kendall Rainey, Deputy Title IX Coordinator - 276-376-4584
- Beau Boggs, Chief of Police - 276-328-0190
UVA Wise campus police are available 24/7, located on the lower level of Cantrell Hall or by phone 276-328-0190 or 276-328-COPS. After hours 276-328-3756, 911 for emergencies
Crisis & Emergencies
Counselors are on an on-call rotation for crisis situations and can be reached by Campus Police and Housing Staff 24/7. During business hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m.), please contact The Counseling Center at 276-376-1005 to reach a counselor.
After 5 p.m., on weekends, or if your initial call to The Counseling Center goes unanswered, please contact Campus Police. In case of an after-hours mental health crisis in a residence hall, contact Housing Staff (including your RA), or Campus Police at 276-328-0190, or dial 911.
Other Resources
There are many online tools you can engage with independently including the following:
ULifeline is an anonymous, confidential, online resource center, where college students can be comfortable searching for the information they need and want regarding emotional health. ULifeline is a project of The Jed Foundation, a leading organization working to protect the emotional health of America's college students, and was developed with input from leading experts in mental health and higher education.
AlcoholScreening.org helps individuals assess their own alcohol drinking patterns to determine if it is likely to be harming their health or increasing their risk for future harm. By answering a few questions, AlcoholScreening.org can offer you information about safe guidelines for drinking and your currently level of risk for potential harm to your health and well-being.
Crisis Text Line offers 24/7 support. If you are in the US you can text HOME to 741741 and a live trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds.
Counseling Center Staff
The Counseling Center’s clinical staff have earned advanced professional degrees in mental health fields and are licensed/licensed eligible by the State of Virginia. They are members of the American Counseling Association and the American College Counseling Association.
