Counseling Information

• Talk to the student privately to help minimize embarrassment and defensiveness.
• Do not promise the student confidentiality regarding what the student shares.
• Listen carefully and respond to both the content and the emotions of the situation.
• Discuss your observations and perceptions of the situation directly and honestly with the student.
• Express your concern in a non-judgmental way. Respect the student’s value system, even if you do not agree with it.
• Assist the student with problem solving; identify options for action and resources available for help.
• Let the student know the limits on your ability to help them.
• It often helps to remind the student that most successful people have used some sort of counseling or coaching at some point in their lives and that it can be an important tool to help the student reach their full potential.
• Encourage your student to look at the Counseling & Wellness support Services website. The website provides helpful mental health resources and services, as well as contact information for Triton’s Student Assistance Plan. Perspectives (SAP) offers personal counseling to Triton College students off campus. Perspectives can be reached 24/7 at (800) 456-6327.

Ways to refer a student to counseling:

1. Provide the student with the Counseling & Wellness Support Service email, phone number and/or website. 
   • Email:  counsel@triton.edu
   • Phone:  (708) 456-0300, Ext. 3588
   • Website:  www.triton.edu/counseling

2. If the student feels comfortable, you can offer to call the Counseling Department and let the secretary know that you are with a student who would like to make an appointment. At that point, the secretary will ask to speak with the student to finalize the appointment.

3. You may also email the student and copy counsel@triton.edu and we will follow up directly with the student. Please note that we are unable to confirm or deny if a student has contacted us without their written consent.

4. If the student is in crisis during hours of operation, call Ext. 3588 to connect with a counselor. If the student is in immediate danger, call 911.

Students see a counselor for a wide variety of reasons. Stress, anxiety, depression, feelings of being overwhelmed, grief, difficulty concentrating, and more.

• Email counsel@triton.edu and request an appointment
• Call (708) 456-0300,  Ext. 3588 and request an appointment

• On campus we are located in A-106
• We are also available via virtual counseling

• Personal counseling
• Crisis counseling
• Workshops

Counseling sessions are free to current Triton College students.

No, we do not prescribe medication.

No, Triton College counselors are available to assist students with current situations that are interfering with reaching your academic goals at Triton College. We utilize a brief counseling model to assist with setting outcomes and learning coping mechanisms.

Please visit our website to read about our counselors.

• Anxiety coping mechanisms
• Breathing techniques to reduce stress and stay focused
• Mindfulness
• Tai Chi
• Test anxiety tips
• Working through Grief
• Other special topics

Yes, we do offer a telehealth option.

The counseling center, including our secretary and Dean of Student Services, have access to our schedules.

The simplest way to make a referral is to provide the student with the Counseling & Wellness Support Service’s phone number, email and/or website. You may also email the student and copy counsel@triton.edu and we can follow up with the student. We are unable to confirm or deny if the student meets with us without their written consent. 

• If the student feels comfortable, you can offer to call the Counseling & Wellness Support Services and let the secretary know that you are with a student who would like to make an appointment. At that point, the secretary will ask to speak with the student to finalize the appointment.
• Offer to email the Counseling & Wellness Support Services for the student. Include the student on the email, so a counselor can respond to the student directly based on your introduction. (Please note that due to privacy laws, we will not be able to inform you whether the student responded.)
• If the student is in crisis during business hours, please call the Counseling & Wellness Support Services Department at Ext. 3588. If the student is in immediate danger, call the Triton Police Department at Ext. 3206.

We understand that referring a student to counseling can feel uncomfortable, so here are some tips on how to speak to your student.

• Talk to the student privately to help minimize embarrassment and defensiveness.
• Do not promise the student confidentiality regarding what the student shares.
• Listen carefully and respond to both the content and the emotions of the situation.
• Discuss your observations and perceptions of the situation directly and honestly.
• Express your concern in a non-judgmental way. Respect the student’s value system, even if you do not agree with it.
• Assist the student with problem solving; identify options for action and resources available for help.
• Let the student know the limits on your ability to help them.
• It often helps to remind the student that most successful people have used some sort of counseling or coaching at some point in their lives and that it can be an important tool to help them reach their full potential.
• Encourage your student to take a look at the Counseling & Wellness Support Services website.  The website provides helpful information about various mental health resources and services.

Below is a sample script of what you can say to your student after noticing concerning behavior.

“Thank you for coming to meet with me. I wanted to speak with you about some things that I have noticed that have concerned me. I have noticed (e.g., that you seem upset in class, that you are not turning in assignments, that you wrote something concerning in a paper, etc.). These things have led me to feel concerned about you, and I wanted to make sure that you are okay. While I would like to help you, unfortunately I am not a professional in this area. I was wondering if you knew about the counseling services that Triton offers. A lot of students use counseling, and I have seen it help many other students. Here is more information on how to contact the counseling department.”

Often faculty are the first to recognize that the student is not functioning well. You may begin to see signs that your student in in distress. The student may have also come directly to you to discuss their issues. There are various signs that instructors can look out for, which may manifest in their student’s behavior:

• Acute anxiety or panic
• Decline in academic performance
• Frequent absence from class
• Social isolation and withdrawal
• Dependency on the instructor
• Low energy or lack of motivation
• Changes in personal hygiene
• Increase in risky behavior

Students seek out counseling for:

• Poor grades or probation
• Lack of motivation or difficulty concentrating
• Feeling anxious or stressed
• Depression
• Sexual assault
• Thoughts of suicide
• Domestic violence
• Trauma
• Relationship issues
• Grief
• Body image issues
• Drug or alcohol use
• Managing anger
• Feeling isolated and lonely
• Family problems
• Career and life issues
• Adjusting to life in the U.S.

We have updated and introduced a few new services to our students. We currently provide:

• Individual counseling
• Crisis counseling
• Mental health screening
• Peer support group
• Psycho-educational workshops
• Career counseling

If the student is in crisis during business hours, please call the Counseling & Wellness Support Services Department at Ext. 3588. If the student is in immediate danger, call the Triton Police Department at Ext. 3206.

If the student is not in immediate danger to self or others and the Counseling & Wellness Support Services Department is closed, please have the student contact Triton’s Student Assistance Program – Perspectives. Perspectives offers 24/7 assistance to our students seeking counseling and for those that are in crisis. Students can contact Perspectives by going to:

• https://www.perspectivesltd.com
• Click the top right corner link “Individual & Family Login”
  username: TRI004

  password: perspectives

• Call: (800) 456-6327

Yes, please contact the department secretary at Ext. 3588 to schedule a classroom visit.

Appointments with a counselor cannot confirm seeing a student without written permission from the student.

You can encourage a student to seek counseling services. Counseling is voluntary, not mandated.