It is not unusual for parents to contact the Personal Counseling Center and express concern about the emotional well being of their son or daughter. We recommend that they talk to their student and encourage them to contact our office to schedule an appointment. The student should take the responsibility to call our office to schedule the appointment.
Some students may not be aware of the on-campus personal counseling services available to them, so parents can be very helpful towards informing them of our services and encouraging them to schedule an appointment. It can be helpful for parents to reassure their student that there are no fees charged for our services and about confidentiality (click here to read about Your son or daughter's right to privacy).
There are circumstances when a student refuses parental requests to schedule an appointment for counseling. Maybe the student would agree to meeting with an off-campus counselor? We can suggest appropriate community mental health resources in such circumstances.
If the student simply refuses the parental request that they seek personal counseling, there is little recourse. We can make a final effort by contacting the student ourselves, explaining that their parents have asked us to do so, and surprisingly, they sometimes agree to schedule an appointment! But just a frequently, they respectfully decline under these circumstances.
If the interaction between parent and student during which the student initially refused to seek counseling is handled with empathy and with respect, then the student may remain receptive to changing their mind at a later date about scheduling an appointment with the Personal Counseling Center. Invite them to keep this counseling option open during initial discussions, respectfully advising them it is an option they may want to reconsider later if the problematic situation persists. That's good strategy!
These are very important and complex situations, and parents are invited to give us a call to discuss their particular concerns.
