Frequently Asked Questions

College years are an exciting time, but sometimes they can be stressful. Students may encounter problems that are not easily solved. When talking to friends or relatives about your concerns is impossible or unsatisfying, counseling is often the answer. Personal counseling is a way of talking about what is on your mind with an objective person who can help you to learn new skills and new ways of looking at situations so that you will be more capable of solving problems on your own now and in the future.

Students come to the Counseling for a variety of reasons including relationship issues, depression, anxiety, homesickness, trauma, family problems, eating disorders, and grief. Many students who seek counseling do not have a mental illness, rather they are having difficulty coping with a stressful life event. Some students come to the Counseling Center for help getting connected to other University or community resources.

If you feel uncertain about whether counseling is for you, we hope you will make an appointment for an introductory meeting and discuss your concerns with a counselor. There is no obligation to continue.

The Counseling Center staff welcomes all students. We aspire to respect cultural, individual, and role differences. Our goal is to create a safe, supportive and affirming climate for individuals of all races, ethnicities, national origins, genders, gender identities, sexual orientations, religions, ages, abilities, sizes, socioeconomic statuses, languages, and cultures.

Counseling services are made available to any enrolled Bowling Green State University student. Services come at no additional cost, are voluntary, and confidential.

Consistent with professional ethical standards, information that students share in counseling is held in the strictest confidence. Further information about the confidentiality policy and its limitations is furnished to all students who come for counseling.

View our Notice of Privacy Practices

The counselors are qualified, trained mental health professionals and advanced graduate students with backgrounds in psychology. They are competent and caring people who can help students achieve more satisfying, educational and life experiences.

Meet the counselors

If you are a student wishing to meet with a counselor, the way to begin is through our scheduled initial appointment process.  To schedule an initial appointment, please contact the Counseling Center during business hours, Monday-Friday from 8am to 5pm in order to be scheduled.

Prior to meeting with a clinician, you will complete consent forms and fill out initial questionnaires.  Once completed, you'll speak with a clinician about what brings you to the Counseling Center and discuss further recommendations.

How to get started with counseling

Our Center does not offer assessments or letters for Emotional Support Animals. We suggest using Thriving Campus to find providers who provide ESA documentation.  Thriving Campus is a searchable online database of providers who are available to work with students. 

You can find the Thriving Campus site by visiting the front page of our website.

The Counseling Center offers a variety of services to support student success. While individual and group counseling are available only to currently enrolled BGSU students, the Center offers consultation and outreach to all members of the BGSU community including faculty, staff, and parents. To read more about all our services, click here.

No.  Since one of our primary focuses at the Counseling Center is to serve students with mental health issues or concerns we are unable to participate in student interviews for class assignments.  Please see our policy around interview requests & class assignments under our "Outreach Request" subpage.

The Counseling Center aggregate data is part of the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) data set and report on college student mental health. Anyone can download the annual report below.

CCMH Annual Report