Let's Talk is a program that provides easy access to informal consultations with counselors at Seton Hill. It is not necessary to schedule an appointment; it is free; and it is confidential. Typically, these brief sessions last 15-25 min. It is important to note that it is not a substitute for ongoing therapy and is not formal counseling or mental health treatment. These informal consultations allow you to talk about specific problems and can help you get a feel for what it is like to talk with a counselor. Your Let's talk consultant can help you determine whether formal counseling would be useful for you and if appropriate, will help you get that appointment set up. 

This service is open to all undergraduate and graduate athletes at this time. Let's talk is the best fit for people who: 

• are not sure about counseling and wondering what it is like.

• are not interested in ongoing counseling at this time, but have a specific problem they would like to talk through.

• are interested in learning more about the campus resources that are available to them and how to access them.

• are concerned about a friend and want ideas of how to best support them or get them connected to counseling. 

• students who already know they want ongoing counseling (schedule an initial appointment with the Counseling Center at wellness.setonhill.edu). 

• students who don't want to wait for their next appointment at the Counseling Center (these students should contact the Counseling Center to request a sooner appointment). 

• students with an immediate or urgent concern such as:

  • thoughts of harming yourself or others and/or a recent suicide attempt

  • engaging in dangerous or high-risk behaviors (i.e., significant substance use or self harm)

  • unusual thoughts or behaviors such as hallucinations or feeling a loss of touch with reality. 

  • recent traumatic experience

*If you are experiencing these more urgent concerns, please do not wait for a Let's Talk visit. Instead, contact the Counseling Center for a same-day appointment in our main location (Admin 5th floor) during business hours (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm) by walking in or calling 724-838-4295. After hours: call campus police at 724-830-4999 to connect with the counselor on-call (or 911 if it is an emergency).  

Let's Talk visits can range from 15-25 minutes and are offered on a 1st come, first served basis. Sometimes there is a brief wait, and occasionally when very busy, the counselor may not have enough time to see everyone. However, there are other opportunities each week to connect. You are also welcome to make an appointment for the Counseling Center should you wish at wellness.setonhill.edu. 

During your visit, the consulting counselor will listen closely to your concerns and provide support, perspective and suggestions for resources. 

Students who access counseling through the Counseling Center schedule appointments to meet with a counselor in advance. These sessions are typically 50-minute appointments. After the initial meeting, the counselor may recommend weekly or bi-weekly counseling sessions to spend more time working through challenges that a person is facing. They may also provide referrals into the community for longer-term, more specialized services. 

In contrast, Let's Talk is not formal counseling and is not intended to be a substitute for mental health treatment. Instead, it is a convenient drop-in service where students can have an informal consultation with a counselor. 

Absolutely. The Let's Talk counselor will talk through the issue with you and help you determine the best way to get help. If you feel comfortable with the counselor, it is sometimes possible to meet with them at the Counseling Center in an ongoing way. If it doesn't work for the schedule, that counselor can help you get to the right fit that will meet your needs! 

If you believe you need to be seen sooner than the appointment you found on the online scheduling, it is best to call the Counseling Center at 724-838-4295 Opt 1 and explain your situation. If it is not urgent that you are seen today, but you need a sooner appointment,  you can also email counselingcenter@setonhill.edu and let us know your availability. 

Since regular counseling visits are not available at Let's Talk, following up with the referral is the best course of action. While the Counseling Center offers short-term therapy, sometimes the recommendation is connecting to a longer-term (perhaps year round or someone that can be your person for the next few years as you need it) or specialized care (i.e. substance or eating disorder specialist) or more intensive care (more than once per week). If you are uncertain about the referral or would like to meet with a SHU counselor periodically (in addition to your other provider) to check in and make sure you are getting the support you need in the community, we are happy to talk and support you in this journey. Please schedule a follow up with the person who provided the referral. 

The best thing to do in this situation is to talk directly with your counselor. Counselors are eager to get your feedback--whether positive or negative. Often, opening a conversation about your concern allows the counselor to understand your needs better and shift their support of you. If, after speaking with the counselor, you prefer to transfer to someone else, you can ask your cousnelor directly in person or via email. If that feels like it still is too difficult, you may reach out to the director at jmaga@setonhill.edu. 

If your next appointment is not soon enough, it is best to contact the Counseling Center at 724-838-4295 or if it can wait 24 hours or so for a response, you may email your counselor directly to see if they have availability sooner. 

Conversations with Let's Talk counselors are confidential, with a few very rare exceptions. Counselors may need to share information in an emergency when there is an immediate threat of harm to self or others. Counselors are required by law to report when a minor, elderly person, or someone otherwise incapacitated and unable to act on their own behalf is being abused. Let's talk counselors keep brief written notes of their contacts with students, and in the event there is an emergency or a student is referred to the Counseling Center, other Counseling Center staff may see those notes. In very rare cases, these notes can be released with a court order. Let's talk visits are never noted on a student's official university record. 

We do not want anything to be a barrier to students accessing support. If you have further questions, about confidentiality, you are encouraged to discuss them with a Let's Talk counselor.