Welcome to the Marshall University Counseling Center
We Are… Here For You!
Welcome to all of our incoming freshman and returning students, we can’t wait to see you in the fall!
Message from the Director, Candace D. Layne, EdD
Welcome to the Marshall University Counseling Center website. On this website you will find information about the MU Counseling Center, services, resources, contact information and other valuable counseling and wellness information.
Located on the first floor of Prichard Hall, the Counseling Center offers professional therapeutic services that can assist students with mental health, academic, career, and personal needs. Counseling services are confidential and free for Marshall University students. Our primary goal is to support the mission of Marshall University and the Division of Student Affairs by providing support and assistance to develop students’ personal growth, academic success, and mental health. The Marshall University Counseling Center recognizes and supports the diverse needs of students through counseling, educational, assessment, outreach, and training activities.
Explore our website to find more information about the following:
- Counseling Center Hours
- Counseling Center Contact Information
- Explore counseling options/resources such as individual therapy, group therapy, and supportive counseling
- Semester Outreach Activities Calendar
- Training opportunities
- Suicide Resources
- See information about strategies for personal growth
Please do not hesitate to contact the Counseling Center if you have any questions, at 304-696-3111. To contact the Director directly please call 304-696-2269 or e-mail layne32@marshall.edu
About the Counseling Center
Marshall University’s Counseling Center is committed to providing you with the opportunity to explore concerns with a professional counselor in a confidential setting. We offer services to help you attain both personal and academic goals. Services may include, but are not limited to, counseling focused on mental health symptoms such as depression and anxiety, including test anxiety, stress management, conflict resolution, anger management, and relationship concerns. The center recognizes the college years are a time of accelerated growth, significant challenges, and considerable stress. We are here to help you manage the variety of concerns that may arise during your college career. The Marshall University Counseling Center is a member of the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH), member of the West Virginia Collegiate Initiative to Address High-Risk Alcohol Use (WVCIA), and the Director is a member of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD).
Counseling Center Scope of Practice
The Marshall University Counseling Center supports the mission of Marshall University and the Division of Student Affairs. The counseling center provides support and assistance to develop students’ personal growth, academic success, and mental health. The Marshall University Counseling Center recognizes and supports the diverse needs of students through counseling, education, assessment, outreach, and training services.
At times, students may require mental health services that reach beyond the scope of practice of the Marshall University Counseling Center. In such situations, we provide appropriate referrals to community resources, while still providing support for students along the way. We are sensitive to the fact that some students require greater needs than others, and we do are best and within our ethical duty, to balance this reality with our responsibilities as a university counseling center.
If we believe that a student’s needs for services go beyond our ability to meet these needs, we will offer referral information for treatment providers, agencies, or organizations that might be able to meet this need. If a student or parent has questions about the center’s scope of practice, they are encouraged to contact the Director at 304-696-2269 or e-mail counselingcenter@marshall.edu
After a referral and completion of registration and consent paperwork, students are scheduled an intake appointment. Due to the fact that it may take up to two weeks to receive an intake appointment, students are welcome to attend the counseling center walk-in clinic, Let’s Talk groups, workshops or attend evening or weekend walk-in with the Counselor in Residence until the intake appointment.
Students symptomology and functioning is assessed and they are placed in one of the following four levels. The services level help to provide a scope and plan of care, and a severity level for counselors. All students all provided treatment plan goals and objectives that guide treatment.
Level 1- The student presents with symptomology that are sufficient for a DSM-V diagnosis and is actively suicidal with intent or presents with suicidal ideation – weekly to bi-weekly appointments. Students will also be referred for psychiatric services through the counseling center at Marshall Psychiatry. Students in this level of treatment may be referred for an emergency psychiatric assessment in the community and possible hospitalization if voluntary. If students refuse a voluntary assessment, it may be necessary for a counselor to file for a mental hygiene. A mental hygiene will only be filed in extreme cases, and if the students presents a harm to him or herself and others on campus.
Level 2- The student presents with symptomology that are sufficient for a DSM-V diagnosis. Students will be provided bi-weekly sessions and may be referred for psychiatric services.
Level 3– The student presents with symptomology, but symptoms are not great enough in severity or duration to warrant a DSM-V diagnosis. Students will be provided bi-weekly to monthly services with a Mental Health Specialist in the center. This may be supplemented with supportive counseling services.
Level 4- The student presents with stressors and minimal to no symptomology. Students in this level will be provided supportive counseling in our daily walk-in clinic.
Services provided by the Marshall University Counseling Center:
- Short-term counseling and psychotherapy: students receive 10 counseling sessions per semester. This does not include the walk-in clinic offered at the counseling center. The following are included in the 10 sessions:
- Individual Therapy
- Couples Therapy
- Group therapy and workshops
- Psychiatric evaluation and medication management
- Walk-in clinic/drop-in consultation
- 24/7 emergency/crisis coverage- students must contact MUPD at 304-696-HELP (4357)
- Evening drop-in hours with Counselors-in-Residence in Twin Towers West
- Outreach and consultation for students, as well for University organizations, student groups, faculty and staff on mental-health-related topics
- Documentation for an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) may be provided if a student presents with a DSM-V diagnosis, provides vaccination records for the pet (dog, animal, rabbit), as well as review of the risks and benefits of having an Emotional Support Animal. The student is also required to attend at least six (6) counseling sessions with a Mental Health Specialist in the Counseling Center.
Services NOT provided at the Marshall University Counseling Center:
- Testing/evaluation for disability claims, custody claims, or other legal proceedings
- Psychological testing for learning disabilities, ADHD, or neurological conditions
- Intensive outpatient therapy (e.g., regularly-scheduled individual sessions which occur more than once per week, and/or have a duration longer than 1 hour)
- Family therapy
- Therapy services for students who are not currently enrolled in classes, due to graduation, withdrawal, or dismissal from the University.
- Therapy/evaluation that is court-ordered or required by any non-University judicial body
- Detox/rehab treatment for individuals with chemical dependency
- Intensive ongoing case management services; for example, daily phone check-ins or daily medication management.
- A situation in which a client has a severe mental health concern, AND, based on available treatment guidelines, clinical knowledge/experience, and professional standards of practice, we believe that this severe mental health concern cannot be treated at CPS without risking probable further deterioration of a person’s health and safety.
- CPS cannot contact students who are not our clients with the intention of encouraging them to seek services here.
Counseling Center Appointments & Walk-In Services
Counseling Center Hours of Operation:
- Monday- 8:00-5:00
- Tuesday- 8:00-6:00
- Wednesday- 8:00-6:00
- Thursday- 8:00-5:00
- Friday- 8:00-5:00
We recommend you make an appointment with the Counseling Center to ensure a counseling professional will be available to discuss your concerns. If you ever need to cancel an appointment, please call the Counseling Center or your counselor as soon as possible. All appointments can be made in person or over the phone by calling 304-696-3111, e-mailing counselingcenter@marshall.edu, or completing the referral form on the Counseling Center website. The Counseling Center provides a waiting area for clients on the first floor of Prichard Hall. Scheduled appointments are approximately 45 minutes to one hour. Therapy services are free for current full time and part-time students.
Virtual Walk-In, Same-day appointment Hours:
- Monday, Thursday, Friday- 1:00-4:00
- Tuesday and Wednesday- 10:00-4:00
During virtual walk-in/same-day appointment hours, students are seen on a first come, first-served basis. A counselor will work with you to determine your needs and the most appropriate intervention. That may include scheduling a follow-up appointment with a counselor or a referral to other campus or community resources. Walk-in appointments are 30 minute appointments.
What to expect at your first appointment?
View our video to learn about the registration and intake process! Registration and intake video
During your intake appointment you will be asked to complete necessary forms to help gather information about presenting concerns, as well as a consent for treatment. These forms are done electronically or pencil and paper. During your first appointment, you and the Mental Health Specialist will discuss presenting concerns and a plan for treatment. Session frequency will be determined by the Mental Health Specialist and the student.
Emergency/Crisis Counseling: In the event of an emergency, a Marshall University Counseling Center staff member is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be reached by calling 304-696-3111 during regular office hours or by contacting the Marshall University Police Department at 304-696-4357 outside of office hours.
Students living in states other than West Virginia
Due to the ethical standards set forth by the counseling boards of each state pertaining to distance or telemental health counseling, counseling center staff may not be able to provide distance counseling services to students outside of West Virginia. If you are taking all online courses and you are residing in another state, counseling center staff will assist with the following:
- Counseling Center staff will check the ethical standards pertaining to distance counseling in the state you are residing in.
- If a counselor cannot provide distance counseling services, the staff member will assist in providing referrals for counseling services in your hometown.
If you have further questions, please contact the counseling center at 304-696-3111 or e-mail counselingcenter@marshall.edu
Contact the Counseling Center
Find us on Marshall’s Huntington campus in Prichard Hall, on the first floor. Call the Counseling Center at 304-696-3111 to learn more or schedule an appointment.
