Student Counseling Services
To make an appointment for individual services:
The Counseling Center is open for appointments from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, while school is in session.
Students can make appointments on their Healthy Broncs Portal or contacting the Counseling Center at [email protected] or calling 609-896-5157 (email/voicemail should never be used in case of an emergency)
The Counseling Center is located in Zoerner House on Lawrenceville Road between Rider University's two entrances (near Public Safety) and the phone number is (609) 896-5157 or you may email [email protected].
To join ongoing meetings - click on the name to register
Roy. G. Biv: LGBTQIA+ Support
A safe space for LGBTQIA+ students to discuss life as a queer person. We will address many topics relevant to members of the community, such as coming out, microaggressions, heteronormativity, cisnormativity, and more. Members are encouraged to come with an open mind and an eagerness to form a supportive and accepting space.
From the Margins: Racial and Ethnic Diversity
Supportive meetings where BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) students can explore experiences related to their identity, cultural values, academics/career, family, and relationships.
The Other F Word: Distress Tolerance
These meetings focus on that pesky other F word - FEELINGS. Sometimes our emotions get the best of us. We will teach you the skills to manage crisis situations and accept and understand difficult feelings. Join us to discuss how you can better manage emotional distress without becoming overwhelmed.
Pump Your Breaks: Managing Your Emotions
With all that is going on in the world, it can be hard to control your emotions. This is a supportive space for students whose emotions interfere with their ability to solve problems effectively and to communicate in relationships. Join meetings to learn how to manage your emotional state to positively impact your personal well-being, social relationships, and more!
The Me in We: Healthy Relationships
This is an inclusive space for students who would like to learn more about healthy relationships and to increase their relational skills and communication.
Mindful Minute: Mindfulness Meditation
Practicing mindfulness can improve your overall physical and emotional well-being and increase your attention and focus. This is an opportunity to learn mindfulness skills and develop your personal transformational meditative practice to support your mental health.
To join workshops - click on the name to register
Mental Wealth Toolbox
This workshop is a primer for all students interested in mental health services. The Mental Wealth Toolbox helps students understand the most common mental health struggles, like anxiety, stress, and depression. Participants learn a variety of coping skills, including stress management and mindfulness.
Referrals
Referring others to University Counseling Center is an important and sometimes difficult task. A good referral is one where the student feels understood, realizes that there is a competent source of help available, and is motivated to seek out that help.
Every year, many students, faculty, and staff call or come to Counseling Center expressing concern about a fellow student, friend, or roommate. We have some recommendations for how to approach the student you are concerned about.
- Approach in a gentle, caring and non-judgmental way and specifically state why you are concerned.
- Suggest that he/she seek out professional assistance at Counseling Center.
Most of the time the student will feel relieved that there is help available and will agree to make an appointment. If you want to offer extra support, you can have the student call Counseling Center (609-896-5157) from your office or room, and/or offer to accompany the student to the counseling office.
If the person you are concerned about refuses to get help immediately (and it is not an emergency situation), try to be friendly and remain open to the possibility that he/she may want your help in the future. Feel free to consult with one of our staff about any student.
Would a therapist in the community be a good choice?
Sometimes students prefer to find treatment in the community instead of receiving help Counseling Center. We also refer students for treatment in the community when it is determined to be most beneficial. Several different factors can affect this decision. Our services are also provided by counselors-in-training who are supervised by licensed Counselors and Psychologists. We also do not offer psychiatric services. In most cases, we cannot offer long-term weekly therapy for chronic psychological difficulties. If you need long-term weekly treatment that provides a high level of predictability and consistency in appointments, then a therapist in the community may be a better choice. In order to maximize availability of our services to all students, we typically follow a shorter-term model of treatment and are able to be somewhat flexible with this limit. There are also a good number of students who would prefer to engage in treatment off campus because they desire the increased sense of privacy and flexibility that this offers. If you are considering a community referral and/or need psychiatric care, see the Community Referrals listed below. While our office does not specifically recommend any particular therapist or psychiatrist, we are happy to meet with your student to assist with the decision-making process.
For more information about students in distress, please refer to our other links specifically for faculty/staff, students, and parents