Counseling Services

Counseling

College can be challenging but it does not have to be overwhelming. You are not alone. Motlow Counseling Services is here to help you thrive in life and learning. We provide a safe and supportive space to address your concerns and the causes of your stress. Free and confidential counseling is available to currently enrolled students through in person or telehealth appointments.

Benefits of counseling

Regulate emotion
Reduce stress
Boost mood
Develop confidence
Explore priorities
Increase motivation
Strengthen relationships
Improve communication

Services Offered

Individual counseling sessions
Self-help resources
Support groups
Outreach and prevention
Programs and workshops
Crisis services
Referral for additional services
Consultations

CONTACT

We have counselors at each campus. For more information or to request an appointment, simply email or call.

931-393-1960
[email protected]
Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm

LOCATIONs

Moore: Clayton Glass Library 221
Smyrna: AWJ 103
Fayetteville: FC 112
McMinnville: MC 134A

Individual Counseling

In Person or Telehealth Appointments Available

Counseling Confidentiality

These confidential counseling sessions are available with a licensed mental health professional. Conversations and counseling records are not a part of your academic records and cannot be disclosed to anyone without your written consent, with the following exceptions:

Suspected abuse or neglect of children or vulnerable adults
Situations involving potential suicide or homicide
Mental health provider records/reports subpoenaed by a court for legal proceedings

Limits of Care

All counseling services are free to currently enrolled Motlow students. The length of treatment consists of short-term assistance. If it is determined that long-term mental health counseling services are more appropriate to address your clinical need(s), the therapist will work with you to provide a referral to a qualified mental health professional in the community.

CRISIS

If You Need Help Right Now.

Call 911

If you or someone you know at Motlow is experiencing a mental health crisis during hours 8AM-4:30PM, Monday- Friday, call Motlow Counseling Services for consultation and to request same day appointment 931-393-1960.

If you are considering ending your life, contact 911 immediately or go to the nearest ER.

For 24/7 resources:

Support Groups

What is a Support Group? Why should you join?

Support Groups are a safe space to CONNECT. It is an opportunity for students to get support, meet new people, find encouragement, and consider life’s larger questions. While it is not group therapy, it:

Promotes personal growth and social connection
Improves emotional & mental wellbeing
Provides a regular space for building community and finding encouragement
The primary message is “I’m not alone in my situation”

Benefits of participating in a support group may include:

Feeling less lonely or lost
Reduces distress, depression, anxiety
Sharing experiences and life’s lessons
Learning skills to cope with challenges
Staying motivated
Gaining a sense of empowerment and hope
Improve understanding of a mental/emotional struggle and your own experience with it

For more information regarding your campus’ support groups times and locations, please see the monthly Counseling Services Newsletter in your Motlow email.

SELF HELP RESOURCES

Additional resources and information to assist with living, growing and learning!

The Jed Foundation - Resources for coping skills and support
Mental Health is Health - Emotional health and symptom identification
Active Minds - Changing the conversation about mental health
The Trevor Project - LGBTQ resources
The Steve Fund - Promoting mental health and well-being of students of color
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Mental health resources for Veterans

OUTREACH

Motlow Counseling Services strives to offer outreach programs to address student stress and depression. We focus on suicide prevention, sexual violence prevention, mental health stigma, and drug and alcohol prevention efforts. Counseling Services collaborates with faculty and staff who work closely with students to offer "gatekeepers" training opportunities.

Click on the following links to learn more about:

Suicide Prevention

Nation Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988

College students are in a state of life transition and can be overwhelmed with new opportunities and new responsibilities. Lifestyle changes, sleep deprivation and substance abuse, can contribute to suicidal behavior.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students
Approximately 1,100 college students die by suicide every year
6% of college students report they have seriously considered suicide over the past year; 90%of those students created a suicide plan, 14% actually attempted suicide, and 60% continued to have thoughts of suicide

Signals

There are some behaviors that signal possible suicidal thoughts and attempts. Knowing these signals and taking action may help you save someone’s life. A person might be suicidal if they:

Have sadness or depression that will not go away
Become withdrawn or isolate themselves from friends, family, and society
Have difficulty going to classes
Become highly anxious or agitated
Display rage or uncontrolled anger
Give away prized possessions
Increase their use of alcohol and drugs
Acquire a firearm
Lose weight or have a decrease in appetite
Change their sleeping patterns, cannot sleep, or sleep all the time
Engage in reckless and risk-taking behavior
State they have no reason to live
Talk about or threaten suicide. (If this happens, TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION)

Remember: Any one of these signals alone doesn’t necessarily indicate a person is suicidal. However, several signals may be cause for concern. Signals are especially important if the person has attempted suicide in the past. Listen. Be a friend. Get professional help. Your actions may save a life!

Risk Factors

A variety of factors contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors in college students.

Depression contributes to suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. Over a third of college students reported being so depressed they found it difficult to function. **

Hopelessness 45% of college students had felt their situation was hopeless**

Loneliness 55% of college students had felt very lonely. **

Academic Stressors can be a contributing factor to suicide. College students who have attempted suicide cite academic stress as one of the reasons for their suicide attempts. Almost half who consider suicide cite academic problems as a contributing factor.*

Financial Concerns are cited as a contributing factor by 78% of students who attempt suicide and in 31% of students who seriously consider suicide. *

Other factors such as relationship problems and issues with parents can contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Certain populations of college students such as LGBTQ students, veterans, minority students, students who do not live on campus, and students who have known someone who died by suicide are at a higher risk for suicide and suicide attempts.

What to Do

ASK the question, “Do you feel like going to sleep and never waking up?”, or find someone who can. Take the risk factors and signals seriously.
Listen to them without judgment. Show interest in the person and be supportive of him or
Offer hope that there are alternatives to
Take Remove methods the person might use to kill him or herself. Do not leave the person alone.
Get Help from his or her family, friend, physician, clergy,
Immediately contact a person or organization that specializes in crisis intervention or suicide prevention for help.

Suicide Prevention Plan

Crisis Hotline: 988