Do you ever find yourself having a breakdown in front of the library? I’m talking full-blown crying, boogers down your face, can’t breathe kind of breakdown. Okay, okay, maybe not everyone has had this experience, but when I was at my lowest, I found myself at Student Health Services for counseling.
I am not new to counseling. Thanks to my silly brain, I’ve been seeing a therapist since I was 16. My counselor back home and I used to meet over Zoom. The only spot I could take these calls was in my room, not prime for when you are full of teenage angst and want to talk about your mom.
My first time seeing a counselor in the flesh was at Connecticut College. I was uncomfortable at first during my intake appointment due to some invasive questions they asked. As time went on I have never had such unrestricted conversations with anyone.
The process of starting counseling here at Conn can be frightening. You can email SCS@conncoll.edu, call 860-439-4587, or walk into the Warnshuis Health Center and request an appointment. From there, you are sent a lengthy intake form that asks about your entire mental health history. Once you make it to your intake appointment, they will review every question on the form and match you with a counselor. The appointment may make you feel very vulnerable, but it is important for your counselor to understand what led you to counseling. At the end of your appointment, they offer one-on-one counseling with either an intern (every week), a counselor (every two weeks), or group counseling (every week).
During my first year, I chose to meet with an intern counselor every week. This can seem uncomfortable to some, but I found that I received greater care than when I saw a counselor at home. My counselor left this year, so I had to go through the intake process a second time. This year, I am paired with a full-time counselor at health services.
Although I have been too frightened to join group therapy, a member of the Class of 2025 had nothing but positive views. They felt relieved to hear that other students had similar experiences and had a community to work with. There are many different categories of group therapy, such as grief, identity, discussion-based therapy, LGBTQIA+, women’s, and more.
Conn also offers psychiatric services with their psychiatric nurse practitioner, Elizabeth (Eliza) Alve-Hedegaard. This service gets billed to the students, either through the school’s insurance or the student’s tuition bill. Alve-Hedegaard offers psychopharmacological evaluation and medication management for students.
For many years, I thought I needed to start taking psychiatric medication, but my doctor told me that all I needed was behavioral therapy. It felt diminishing to be told that I wasn’t “ill enough.” Alve-Hedegaard validated my concerns and we started a treatment course immediately. It was amazing to have an opportunity to take full control of my mental health.
Chloe Jeniski ‘26 also has shared a positive experience with counseling at Conn: “I have had three counselors so far at Conn and all of them have been pretty supportive.” Jeniski has also spoken about some of the downsides of counseling, saying “The one thing that is kinda hard is that the therapist I did click really well with left.” There are minimal full-time counselors at SCS and some of the gaps are filled with interns.
Counseling at Conn has its ups and downs, but that is the case with most mental health services. While this process is hard, I cannot express how beneficial it has been for me and other students on campus. With my past mental health care, I was never able to take full initiative to better myself. Since coming to Conn, I have been the most honest with myself and my counselor.
If you find yourself stressed with classes, having a hard time adjusting to college, or just want someone to talk with, Student Counseling Services is your place to go. There are so many staff members who want to see you live your best life. For more information, check out Student Counseling Services through CamelWeb, or walk into the Student Health Services building.
