Counseling FAQs
Students come to counseling for many different reasons—big or small. Some common topics include and are not limited to:
- Feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed
- Struggling with depression or low mood
- Academic or test anxiety
- Relationship or friendship issues
- Family concerns
- Grief or loss
- Adjusting to college life
- Self-esteem or identity questions
- Coping with past or recent trauma
- Wanting to make a positive change or build new skills
You don’t have to wait for a crisis to come to counseling. Sometimes it’s simply a safe place to talk things through with a trained professional who listens without judgment.
Your first appointment with a counselor will last about an hour. During this time, we’ll work together to figure out what type of support is best for you—whether that’s counseling, case management, psychological testing, or psychiatry.
We’ll start with a few short questionnaires to help us better understand your needs. Before your appointment, you’ll get an email with some forms to fill out. If you don’t get a chance to complete them ahead of time, no worries—still come to your appointment, and we’ll go through them together.
Our latest appointment time is 4:00 PM.
If you are experiencing a crisis after hours, please contact:
- Mental Health After-Hours Crisis Line: 712-252-3871
- Campus Safety: 712-274-6414
- Suicide Line: 988
If you ever feel unsafe or need immediate help, don’t wait—reach out right away.
Yes. At Western Iowa Tech, counseling services are completely free of charge for students. This includes one-on-one clinical mental health therapy provide by on-campus mental health professionals during regular college hours.
To make counseling as accessible as possible, WIT offers telephone, in-person, and Zoom appointments - all free of charge for students.
Counseling is always your choice, so it’s important that you are the one making the appointment. We encourage you to reach out whenever you feel it’s the right time for you.
No. Counseling is confidential. We won’t share that you’re receiving counseling unless you give written permission, except in rare cases required by law (such as risk of harm or suspected abuse).
No. Counseling records are kept separate from your academic records and are not part of your transcript. They are private health records, protected by confidentiality and HIPAA regulations.