For Students

The Counseling & Student Development Center (CSDC) is a place for students to discuss personal, academic or vocational concerns. The CSDC provides a wide variety of services for students so they may grow as adults while succeeding in their academics.

All services are free and strictly confidential. Our counselors and psychologists are trained mental health professionals with concentrated study on the specific developmental needs of college students.

Emergency Services

Counseling & Student Development Center services are available year-round in the case of a mental health emergency.

  • During regular office hours: 570-577-1604
  • After-hours urgent phone support: 570-577-1604. Choose Option 2 to connect to the on-call counselor.
  • Whether you are being seen by Uwill, CSDC, or a community provider, CSDC urgent/crisis services and consultation are available by calling 570-577-1604.
  • When CSDC is open, a counselor on duty is available.
  • When CSDC is closed, including breaks and holidays, CSDC after hours is available by calling 570-577-1604 and pressing 2.

Appointments

In-person services at the CSDC

Students seeking in-person services on campus can typically be seen every few weeks and average about five to seven counseling appointments per academic year.

To schedule a first-time initial assessment online, click Online Scheduling, and you will be walked through an appointment scheduling process. The wait time for an initial assessment is typically between two to three weeks, depending on the time of the semester.

What to expect: Students meet for an initial assessment with a counselor who will explore their concerns, assess for safety and provide professional recommendations about services that may be a good fit for them. A recommendation may include referrals to Uwill, an off-campus provider, or a course of brief individual counseling at the CSDC.

Same-day phone appointments

Phone appointments are available first-scheduled, first-serve, 1–4 p.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday. To schedule, please use Online Scheduling and select "Same Day Phone Appointment" to see and sign up for an available spot that day.

What to expect: One of our counselors will call your preferred phone number between 1–4 p.m. for a brief and confidential conversation to address your immediate needs. By the end of the 15– to 20–minute call, you and the counselor will have discussed the next steps, which could include encouraging you to follow up as needed, connecting you with a campus partner or discussing the Center's various services like individual or group counseling.


Uwill logo

Uwill telehealth offers up to eight counseling appointments per calendar year.

Uwill provides students with video, phone, chat and message sessions with licensed mental health professionals at no cost. This counseling option offers students greater flexibility as these teletherapy services are available during the day, as well as evenings, weekends and holidays. Uwill has licensed mental health professionals available in all 50 states and providers in many countries. Set up an appointment, and register with a Bucknell email address.

What to expect: Following an initial registration, you will receive an email confirmation to complete the registration process. After confirming your address, you can select a counselor and schedule an appointment.

When to pick CSDC over Uwill?

Uwill is appropriate for Bucknell students who are looking for general services and also those whose scheduling needs may not fit with available on-campus services. There are some times when on-campus services are a better fit. These include: having thoughts of self-harm or thoughts of harming others, having an ongoing mental health concern, currently experiencing significant disruption in your tasks of daily living or intense symptoms related to a diagnosed mental health condition or needing long-term mental health support. Please call CSDC if you are experiencing any of the above.

Off-Campus Therapy

Home Psychologist/Therapist/Psychiatrist: If you already have an established relationship, we recommend that you continue to see a provider at home and this connection can be facilitated by telehealth opportunities. However, if desired, we welcome students to connect to CSDC so we can be here if you have an urgent need or could benefit from coordination of care.

When to pick a community provider?

  • Students seeking weekly therapy or require or more frequent sessions, including clients with frequent crises, incidents or episodes requiring clinical intervention
  • Active/impairing significant eating concerns/disorders
  • Active/impairing drug or alcohol problems as the primary presenting issue
  • Students with ongoing, persistent behavioral issues or safety concerns
  • Untreated psychotic disorders
  • Students who require services beyond the expertise of staff
  • Student who is already in treatment with another mental health provider
  • Students seeking therapy for the sole purpose of obtaining documentation for another university office
  • Students seeking documentation for emotional support animals
  • Mandated clinical services
  • Students who have a history of multiple hospitalizations due to a psychiatric concern
  • Comprehensive psychological evaluations of any type, including but not limited to: forensic evaluations, custody or divorce assessments, academic disability, neuropsychological exams, ADHD assessments, etc.


Welltrack Connect logo

Bucknell University partners with Welltrack Connect to help you find off-campus mental health care providers. Connect makes it easier to find the best fit for your needs. Connect searches filters for providers' specialty, social identity, the health insurance they accept and more. Visit Welltrack Connect to connect with providers who meet your particular ne

Group Counseling

Counseling groups on a variety of topics. Please call 570-577-1604.

What to Expect: Therapy in a group setting can be a productive and supportive way to address common concerns. Students meet as a group with one or more clinicians to explore a specific topic and develop coping skills. Some groups are time-limited, while others are ongoing. Group offerings vary each semester and lists are updated at the beginning of the semester. Additional groups may be developed, depending on student interest and staff availability.

Reinstatement requirements following a health leave of absence (LOA).

When a student is preparing to return to Bucknell University following a Health Leave of Absence, an Off-campus provider form following a leave of absence for health-related reasons (pdf) must be completed by their counseling or psychiatric provider and submitted to Counseling & Student Development Center by fax at 570-577-1849 in order to initiate the reinstatement process.

Psychiatric Services

Only students who are engaged in ongoing CSDC counseling services are eligible to make appointments with a psychiatric provider. Due to the limited nature of psychiatric services, students who already have an established relationship with a prescribing off-campus professional are encouraged to continue working with that professional. Upon termination of counseling at the CSDC, students will be required to identify a psychiatrist in the community with whom they will continue care.

The process of psychiatric treatment begins by scheduling an initial assessment appointment with a counselor with the intention of meeting for the duration of recommended care. The counselor will meet with the student for two to three sessions to evaluate the student's symptoms by performing a background screening and assessing the results. It is up to the counselor to recommend psychiatric services if they are needed. The counselor may also recommend other resources that may include a course of brief individual counseling or a referral to other types of health or mental health providers.

  • Stimulant medication (Adderall, Vyvanse, Concerta, Ritalin or generic varieties) or other controlled substances are not prescribed at the CSDC.
  • We do not provide Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) testing.
  • Students seeking medication only will be assisted in finding an appropriate provider in the community.
  • CSDC cannot provide letters of support for students in need of emotional support animals.
  • Students who discontinue counseling services at CSDC but would like to continue medication management should identify an appropriate provider in the community.
  • For students who require long-term, ongoing mental health care, the CSDC staff may assist students with a referral to a psychiatric provider in the community.

Students who already have an established relationship with a prescribing professional off-campus are encouraged to continue working with that professional.

Our Services

The CSDC provides individual, group and crisis counseling, as well as drug and alcohol consultation, referrals and other services. The CSDC is committed to providing psychological services that are sensitive to each individual and to differences based on gender, race, culture, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation and spiritual belief.

Learn more about our services

What to do in a Crisis

Crisis services are provided for urgent mental health situations. Counselors are available both during and after business hours by calling 570-577-1604. We also provide a directory of emergency numbers to call if you are unable to contact a counselor.

Learn more about crisis services

Helping a Friend

As a student, you may find yourself concerned with the behavior, emotional concerns or demeanor of a friend. Many students talk with a counselor at the CSDC because they want some ideas about how to be helpful to another person. If a consultation meeting with a counselor would be helpful to you, feel free to call for an appointment.

In the meantime, remember:

  • Listening to and putting yourself in the shoes of the friend about whom you are concerned can help them feel understood and cared about.
  • If you want to explain to a friend why you are concerned, be as specific as you can. Being direct is also advisable; attempting to deceive or trick someone into getting help is unwise.
  • Change often happens in stages. When you encourage a friend to go to counseling, you plant a seed for change that may not take hold right away. Keep in mind that when you suggest counseling to a friend they may not be ready to take in this suggestion and might even be offended or disregard it. If this happens, it can be helpful to remind your friend that you're there for them if they need help. Sometimes people aren't ready to accept help right away but will remember that you're available for support when they're ready.
  • If you feel that getting someone to help is essential, you may consult with a counselor at the CSDC.

The following are indications that a student may be experiencing significant emotional distress:

  • Noticeable change in personality
  • Frequent crying
  • Dramatic weight loss or gain
  • Social withdrawal
  • Alcohol and/or other drug use or abuse
  • Odd behavior, peculiar speech
  • Deterioration in personal hygiene
  • Direct or indirect reference to suicide, preoccupation with death and morbid subjects
  • Failure to attend class or do assigned work
  • Frequent requests for attention, highly dependent behavior
  • Compulsive behaviors
  • Unruly, abusive behavior; ongoing anger; vandalism
  • Listless, lethargic, "depressed" appearance
  • High-risk sexual behavior
  • Self-injurious behavior (e.g., cutting, burning)
  • Hopelessness

Online Training

Distress related to mental health concerns, suicidal thoughts, attempts to die by suicide and completed suicides are an unfortunate but very real experience for students at Bucknell. We believe that one of the first steps to build a supportive and suicide-safer community is to increase awareness about signs indicating a person may be in distress and/or considering suicide and to be able to take next steps to help a person at risk. As a member of our campus community, we ask that you complete an online module that should take ~40 minutes. The more Bucknellians who have this training, the greater the chance that another student at risk will get the help they need when they most need it.

Learn how to help a fellow Bucknellian

Making a Referral

If you believe that a student would benefit from talking with a counselor, there are a number of things that you can do to make a referral:

  • Suggest that the student take a look at the Counseling & Student Development Center web page.
  • Remind the student that conversations with counselors are confidential.
  • Offer to make the call with the student to set up an appointment.
  • Remind the student that our services are free to Bucknell students.
  • If you have ever benefited from talking with a counselor, and you are comfortable with this sort of self-disclosure, share your experience with the student.
  • It may also be helpful to remind the student that in an after-hours emergency they can reach the on-call counselor by dialing 570-577-1604 and choosing Option 2.

If you believe that the situation is urgent, you may want to:

  • Suggest that the student accompany you to our office — no appointment is necessary in an emergency.
  • Follow up with the student and ask about their visit to our office.
  • Call our office to consult with one of our counselors.

Self-help Resources

Self-help refers to the act of helping or improving oneself. There are many different ways in engage in self-help activities; different people respond to different activities in different ways. In addition to taking advantage of the many support services at Bucknell, below are ideas about how to include self-care in your life.

Learn more about our self-help resources

Outreach Programs

Counseling & Student Development Center staff are available to present lectures, workshops and programs to your group, organization or class.

Learn more about our outreach resources

Contact Details

Counseling & Student Development Center

Hours

08:30 a.m. - 04:30 p.m.