Community Counseling Clinic

Who May Utilize the Clinic's Services:

The Community Counseling Clinic offers free counseling services to ETSU students and members of the community. Individual counseling for adults, adolescents, and children is available, as well as couples counseling and family therapy is provided by our counselors-in-training.

It is the mission of the Community Counseling Clinic to serve our clients’ needs. We do not engage in discrimination based age, color, culture, disability, ethnic group, gender/gender identity, religion, sexual/affectional orientation, marital status, veteran status, or socioeconomic status.

Concerns Commonly Addressed:

Counselors are prepared to deal with a broad array of individual, couple, and family concerns.

Concerns commonly addressed:

Although we deal with a broad array of personal issues and problems, because the Community Counseling Clinic operates through the Counseling Program at ETSU, we are not equipped to offer 24 hour emergency services, services to those requiring inpatient care, or services that are court-ordered for any reason. Individuals assessed to require greater attention and care than can be provided will be referred to an appropriate agency for services.

For those reasons, ETSU's Community Counseling Clinic does not see the following:

1. Individuals currently exhibiting severe or acute behaviors or symptoms such as paranoia, hallucinations, etc
2. Individuals who have exhibited suicidal behaviors in the last 6 months
3. Individuals/couples/families for which forensic analysis is required or the submission of assessments, session documentation, or testimony to meet attorney, court or employer, etc. expectations
4. Minors under 16 will not be seen unless the person(s) consenting to their treatment has legal custody of the child
5. Individuals currently in counseling with someone else will not be seen by the ETSU CCC (note some exceptions for couples and family counseling)
6.  Students in the ETSU counseling program and their immediate family members/partners

Note: The ETSU Community Counseling Clinic is not responsible for children accompanying clients during counseling sessions.

Confidentiality:

Information stated in counseling sessions is confidential. Information discussed in counseling sessions is not available to anyone (including guardians/family members, university administration, police, etc.) without a signed release from the client. However, by law counselors are obligated to report to appropriate persons:

1. reports or evidence of child or elder abuse
2. threats of harm to others
3. harm to self, such as suicide. Courts may also mandate records.

We abide by HIPPA, FERPA, and the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics.

Our Staff:

The clinic is staffed by Master's level Counselors-in-Training who are individually supervised by a Counseling faculty member. As a result, we are confident in stating that each case receives extensive consideration and attention, often more attention than is possible at other mental health facilities where there are financial and time constraints.

Time Limits:

There are no limits on the number of counseling sessions that individuals and families may attend. However, counselors-in-training may rotate after 1 to 3 semesters and those seeking services may be transferred to a new counselor. Because of the close supervision that our counselors receive, transferring clients to a new therapist is convenient and efficient with minimum disruption to the counseling process.

To Set Up An Appointment or To Have Additional Questions Answered:

To make an appointment, please call the clinic at 423-439-7679 and leave a message. You will be contacted regarding an appointment time or to answer any questions regarding services. If it is permissible for the caller to leave a message or talk to other individuals in the household regarding services, please let us know this in your message. Otherwise, in order to maintain confidentiality, individuals contacting clients do not leave answering machine messages or reveal the reason for calling to anyone other than the original caller. Alternately, you may email the clinic at CCC@etsu.edu to make an appointment.

Directions

Please note that the Department of Counseling and Human Serivces's Community Counseling Clinic that is housed in 327 Warf-Pickel Hall is not to be confused with the University Counseling Services housed in the Culp Center. Although both services are available for university students and work in cooperation with each other, they are independent. The University Counseling Center is the formal counseling service offered to ETSU students by the university while the Community Counseling Clinic functions through the Graduate Counseling Program in the Clemmer College and is available to the general public also.