Counseling is a meeting with a mental health specialist to discuss some aspect of your personal or interpersonal life. It involves talking about and working through concerns and problems. Counseling can help you clarify personal issues and emotions, help you set goals, help improve relationships and help you free yourself of disturbing thoughts and feelings.

Students come to counseling for help with a wide range of personal and interpersonal concerns. Some seek help with adjustment to college. Others are looking for ways of reducing conflict in or improving personal relationships. Concerns about suicidal thoughts, depression, stress, eating and body image, alcohol or other drug abuse, or problems resulting from past or current sexual or physical abuse or assault are often issues discussed during counseling. Anyone experiencing domestic or relationship violence is strongly encouraged to talk with one of our counselors. Visit our Resources page for more information.

Depression and suicidal thoughts are serious problems. If you feel down, discouraged, tired all the time or "blue," or have trouble with your sleep or appetite, you may be depressed. Call for an appointment to see one our counselors. Talk with the counselor about how you feel and the counselor will help determine what the problem is and help you do something about it. If you feel suicidal or are thinking often about death or dying, talk with someone nearby right away (e.g., a residence hall advisor or professor) and come in to the center immediately to get some help.

The American College Health Association recommends several online mental health screening instruments to assist students in recognizing mental health problems and seeking help.

Any student taking at least 1 credit hours who has paid the consolidation  fee and living in the state of Alaska is eligible to use the counseling services either in person or by tele-health. For those students residing outside of Alaska, counselors provide tele-mental health check-in services, which includes providing the student with additional resources and referral information for professional care in the student’s local area. Counseling is available during fall and spring semesters Mon., Tues., Thurs., and Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wed., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

We have a counselor available during Summer Sessions, Mon.y-Thurs., 8:30a.m.-1 p.m., closed on Fridays.-

The consolidation fee you paid at "fee payment" covers 6 counseling sessions per semester in the fall and spring semester and 4 sessions during the summer semester.

What you talk about with your counselor is confidential within the limits of the center's Notice of Privacy Practices. The records maintained at the center are accessible only to center staff, except as described by the Notice of Privacy Practices.

To make an appointment, call the Student Health and Counseling Center at 907-474-7043 and request a counseling intake appointment. Counselors are on-duty 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Mon., Tues, Thurs, and Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Wed.  10 am - 5 pm. We will try to find the best match between your schedule and counselor duty hours. You will be asked to arrive early for your appointment to read the Notice of Privacy Practices and complete some paperwork. 

All counseling appointments have a $20 no-show fee, so please call and cancel if you cannot make your appointment. Any student requesting that a counselor write an academic modification letter or letter for withdrawal must be an established client at the counseling center. No exceptions will be made unless there is an emergency situation, which will be determined by the counselor.

During normal office hours (Mon, Tues, Thu, & Fri, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Wed, 9:00 a.m. - 5 p.m) call the Student Health and Counseling Center at 907-474-7043 and let us know that you need to be seen as soon as possible. We will do everything we can to respond quickly. Usually a counselor can see a student within a few hours, and sometimes immediately. Please see after-hours care page for 24/7 counseling assistance. 

During the summer, our hours are Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., closed on Fridays.

If you have a life-threatening emergency after normal office hours, you should call 911. If you have an emergency that is not life-threatening, contact your residence hall advisor or the police department. Please see after-hours care page for TimelyCare for 24/7 counseling assistance. 

The Interior Alaska Center for Non-violent Living also sponsors a community hotline 24 hours a day at 907-452-2293.

There may be times when you have concerns but the depressed mood or distressed feelings or behavior of someone else — perhaps a roommate, a partner, a friend, a student in one of your classes or a student with whom you come in contact through some other means. Counselors provide consultation for students, faculty and staff who are concerned about a student. Depending on the situation, we may talk with you by phone or meet in person to discuss your concerns and help you try to assess how best to respond. This may include providing you with ideas for referring the student for professional care. Please see after-hours care page for 24/7 counseling assistance.