Perrella Counseling Center

We know that education is about much more than what's learned in the classroom, and wellness is about much more than what you do in the gym. Our Counseling Center supports students in their transformation into thoughtful, impactful adults.

Quick Links

HEART Peer Counseling Mental Health Resources Health Center

Hours of Service & Appointments

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Call 607-431-4420 or email [email protected] to schedule an appointment.

Students who have a pre-established relationship with a Counselor may reach out via email to their Counselor to arrange a session.

Confidentiality

The Counseling Center subscribes to the ethical standards of the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Counseling Association (ACA), and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). It is the policy of the Hartwick College Counseling Center to maintain the confidentiality of student records. Counseling Center staff members do not release personally identifiable information to any person or agency without the prior written consent of the student involved.

HEART Peer Counseling

The Counseling Center offers students who may feel more comfortable talking with a fellow student the option to meet with a trained peer.

HEART Peer Counselors

Teletherapy Referrals

Hartwick has partnered with BetterMynd, an online therapy platform, to offer students access to free teletherapy sessions from a diverse network of licensed mental health counselors on a referral basis.

Students interested in using BetterMynd may contact the Counseling Center staff to have sessions added to their account. Once sessions are added, an email will be sent with a link to access BetterMynd’s list of counselors.

More About BetterMynd Teletherapy

What is Counseling?

Counseling is a process through which clients (the student) work one-on-one with a trained professional in a safe, caring, and confidential environment. The counselor supports, guides, and helps facilitate the student in exploring their feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors; identifying aspects of their life they would like to change; working through challenging or influential memories; better understanding themselves and others; and setting personal goals to work toward a desired change.

Why Do Students Seek Counseling?

Students seek services at the counseling center for a wide range of reasons. Some common concerns include:

Anxiety
Body image
Conflict with others
Depression
Family conflict
Gender identity
Loss of a loved one/grief
Panic attacks
Relationship difficulties
Self-esteem
Self-injury
Sexual assault
Sexual identity/orientation
Sexuality
Suicidal thinking
Stress

Appointments & Fees

You will have an initial intake session with one of our counselors to clarify the concerns and/or problems that prompted you to seek counseling. The intake session will allow you and the counselor to determine if our services will be appropriate for you to continue counseling, or if a referral for off-campus services is needed. If it is determined that you would benefit from continued counseling, you and your counselor will discuss a schedule for sessions, as well as how many sessions you can expect to have for the semester. Typically, students are seen 6-12 times in one semester, depending on the problem. If long-term or more intensive treatment is needed, your counselor will help you get connected to services off campus. Our counseling services are free of charge to all current part- and full-time Hartwick College students.

If you are unable to attend your scheduled appointment, please call the Counseling Center at least four hours in advance to cancel. Failure to provide such notice of “no showing” for your appointment may result in a fee: Counselor: $10

Scope of Services

Many students requesting individual counseling would benefit from more extended or different types of services from what we currently offer. Below are some situations where we would likely need to refer our students to other services. This allows us to ensure that our students have access to the services that will be the right fit:

Disorders that require intensive monitoring and treatment
Serious and persistent mental health disorders
Multiple or recent suicide attempts
Chronic non-suicidal self-harm
Active psychosis
Active eating disorders which present significant medical complications or which have not responded to prior treatment
Dependence or active abuse of drugs/alcohol may be referred for specialized services
A need for frequent psychiatric attention

We are wholly committed to helping our students, regardless of their mental health concerns. Due to the scope of practice and the brief model that we follow, we work diligently with our students to connect them to the appropriate services in the community if it is more appropriate for them to receive long-term or intensive treatment than what we currently offer.

Mental Health Emergencies

Mental Health Emergencies

A mental health emergency may consist of an individual:

exhibiting extreme emotional disturbance or behavioral distress;

considering harm to self or others;

disoriented, or out of touch with reality;

displaying a compromised ability to function; or

agitated and unable to be calmed.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY DURING REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS

Call the Counseling Center immediately at 607-431-4420.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AFTER BUSINESS HOURS OR ON A WEEKEND

For mental health emergencies after business hours or on weekends, please utilize the following resources:
Counselor on Call: 607-431-4420

Campus Safety: 607-431-4200

Mobile Crisis Assessment Team (24-Hour Crisis Hotline): 844-732-6228

988 (National Suicide Prevention Hotline 24 hours)

Oneonta Police Department: 607-432-1111

Medical Leave of Absence

A medical leave of absence is for those students whose emotional or psychological/psychiatric well-being would be better served by taking a semester or more away from college, for a more intensive form of treatment than the Counseling Center staff can reasonably provide.

Contact a member of the Counseling Center staff to discuss this option.