Counseling

Counselors are available on each campus to assist you in areas of academic, career and personal counseling. Counseling services are provided to enrolled students free of charge. Appointments can be made by contacting campus counselors directly.

A goal of Northland counselors is to help you address any situation or concern that interferes with your ability to find educational success. Counseling does not fix a problem for you, only you can do that. However, counseling can help you adjust your thought processes, explore alternative approaches, and learn more effective skills which allow you to manage and resolve situations that are having a negative effect in your life.

Counseling is a cooperative venture between you and a counselor. Counseling is also an educational process. You will learn new things about yourself and how you interact in the world. Counseling provides a safe, confidential environment for you to process and explore.

Academic Counseling/Advising

Counselors serve as advisors for particular majors and programs, so some students will have a counselor assigned as their academic advisor. In the advising role, counselors will assist you in creating your schedule and educational plan.

Counselors are great resources in the following areas:

• Academic progress -- If you are on warning or suspension, or simply concerned about a grade in one specific class, counselors can assist you explore what warning, suspension or a poor grade means, as well as, explore options you may have.
• Appeals -- If you need to file an appeal, counselors can help determine what type of appeal is appropriate. Counselors can also guide you through the appeal process.
• Stress and Time Management
• Study Skills
• Test Anxiety

Career Counseling

Career/major choice is an important life decision. Often, students are undecided about the career or major they want to pursue. Research shows that students who have a well thought out career goal or major are more successful in college and more likely to complete their education. Northland counselors can help students with their career and/or major decision-making process.

Career/major choice is a process that will take some time and effort. Successful career exploration includes the following steps: assessing oneself; exploring potential careers; exploring educational and training opportunities; and creating a plan and setting goals. Counselors can help you start the process with interest, skills, and values assessments. Using the assessment, you will explore and analyze potential careers and educational opportunities to help make career/major decisions. Counselors can answer questions and help analyze how information impacts you at any point of the career exploration process.

Northland counselors provide the free, online Kuder Career Planning System which guides you through the career exploration process from start (interest inventories) to finish (resumes and job search). The Kuder provides interest, skills, and values assessments, as well as, in-depth career exploration opportunities. Higher education choices, financial aid information and job search tools are also available. Please contact a Northland counselor for a free activation code.

Online Career Resources

Personal Counseling

There are many challenges students face that affect their success in college. These challenges also affect students' emotional well-being and personal growth. Northland counselors work with students on strategies to overcome the challenges they face. Counseling can also improve; overall well-being, coping skills, communication skills, self-confidence, and promote behavior change.

Some common challenges personal counseling can assist with includes:

• Anxiety
• Decision Making
• Depression
• Grief and Loss
• Low self-confidence
• Relationship concerns
• Stress
• Transition to college

Sometimes, to provide the best help to students, Northland counselors may refer students to appropriate agencies in the community that have expertise in specific areas.

Website Resources

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• Community Violence Intervention Center
• Jed Foundation
• Half of us
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
• National Domestic Violence Hotline
• National Institute of Drug Abuse
• National Institute of Mental Health
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• National Veterans Crisis Line
• North Country Food Bank
• Salvation Army
• Thief River Falls Food Shelf
• Violence Intervention Project

Mindwise Mental Health Online Screening

Northland College provides a free online screening tool created by Mindwise Innovations. Each screening is confidential and anonymous. Screenings are a quick way to determine if you should connect with a counselor. This online screening tool allows students to complete any of the following confidential screenings:

• Alcohol and Substance Use
• Anxiety
• Bipolar Depression
• Depression
• Disordered Eating
• Gambling
• Post-traumatic Stress
• Well-Being

At the end of each screening, you will receive an immediate result which can be printed or emailed. If you choose, you can take your results to a counselor for further discussion and interpretation. These screenings are not a substitute for a complete evaluation, but screenings can help you determine if your symptoms are consistent with any of the concerns listed above. We encourage you to contact a Northland Counselor, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your online screening results.

Confidentiality

Northland counselors follow professional standards of ethics and confidentiality. All counseling communications between a student and counselor are confidential and will not be revealed unless you give written permission to release such information. A copy of the Consent of Release of Information form is available from the counselor.

The following are exceptions to our counseling confidentiality practice:

• If a counselor believes you present an imminent danger to yourself or others. In situations of imminent danger, counselors are legally required to take action to protect your safety and the safety of others. The counselor's actions in these situations may include notifying law enforcement authorities and/or individuals at risk or arranging for voluntary or involuntary hospitalization.
• When a counselor believes that the health or welfare of a child or vulnerable adult is being jeopardized by physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, or exploitation. In these situations, counselors are legally required to report the situation to Child Protection Services and/or other appropriate county and/or state authorities and/or law enforcement authorities.
• When disclosure is made necessary by legal proceedings such as a court order, such as a subpoena.
• Counselors may consult with other professionals to enhance services provided to students. While consulting with professional colleagues, every effort will be made to protect your identity.

In all other cases, what you discuss in counseling will remain confidential.

Contact Us

We invite you to contact us with your questions or concerns. Appointments are recommended as walk-in requests may not be able to be accommodated. Please call or email to schedule an appointment.

We are sensitive to the needs of students of diverse backgrounds, cultures, ethnic groups, ages, and ability and are LGBTQ affirming.