Priesthill Center Counseling Services

Call our number at 706-419-1275 or come to Priesthill in person to speak with our Office Coordinator and ask for a counseling appointment. They will ask you a few questions, and you will be given an appointment that best fits your needs.

• We are now utilizing a same day access model in which students can call the same day they would like an appointment. We encourage you to call in the morning to ensure you have the most options available to ensure you get a time that works for your schedule. You may also choose to schedule an appointment in advance.
• You will be asked to fill out a few forms before seeing a therapist to help them better understand why you are coming and how they can best help.
• You will have a choice to meet with a therapist for 30 or 45 minutes. You can also choose to make a Single Session/One At A Time Therapy appointment, or enter into a more traditional therapy relationship that you would like to be more ongoing. See the drop down box below on Single Session/One At A Time Therapy for more information.
• We utilize a mix of interns and full time staff members at our center. We believe you can get the help that you need from any one at Priesthill! Sometimes this means not keeping the same therapist from year to year. Although this can be a barrier for some, there are real advantages in getting to work with a new therapist on a different problem. You get the benefit of a new perspective and someone seeing you in a new light after time has passed.

• Therapy Preference Form
• Intake Information
• Informed Consent
• Initial Questionnaire
• Email, Text, Phone Consent

Single Session Therapy or One At A Time Therapy are both used to indicate that the student enters into the session with the goal of getting help for a problem in one session, while acknowledging additional sessions are available in the future as needed. This service is especially helpful for students who want help with a particular issue who would like to get ‘unstuck.’ SST or OATT involves coming in for one session with no commitment or expectation to return. You and your therapist will agree on a single goal and will work towards solutions, rely on strengths, and focus on tools that you can implement in your life to help make a meaningful change. You may ask for this kind of therapy in the Therapy Preferences form that you fill out during your initial paperwork, and your therapist will be mindful of your choice in how the session is conducted. 

During office hours there is at least one counselor on staff with built-in triage times for mental health emergencies. A mental health emergency is defined as:

• Suicidal thoughts or actions
• Harming yourself or harming others
• Symptoms of psychosis (hearing or seeing things others do not, delusional thinking)
• Symptoms of a manic episode (agitated behavior, unnatural energy, lack of sleep for 3 days)
• Please call our office number and speak with our office coordinator about your concerns. Because of the nature of our center, we are not available at all times or for on-call services.

If you are experiencing a mental health emergency and need to talk with someone right away, please use one of the following resources:

• Call the on-duty Resident Director: 706-419-1176
• Call Parkridge Valley Hospital RESPOND: 423-499-2300
• Call Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 (National Crisis Line)
• Call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
• Call 911
• Go to the emergency room of your choice