Counseling is the process of working with a mental health professional to address your problems or concerns. The mental health professional listens with an objective ear and helps you learn more about yourself and new ways of looking at situations. This process can help you feel more capable of identifying and solving problems on your own. The primary goal is to help you develop the skills and abilities to solve problems as they arise in order to make the most of your academic experience.
Many students decide to pursue counseling. It does not mean you aren’t “normal.” It is not a sign of weakness but of strength – if you initiate counseling, it is evidence that you are taking charge of your own well-being. Many students have found Counseling to be helpful when they are having trouble functioning here at Pratt.
Some common reasons for seeing a staff therapist include relationship problems, depression, anxiety, academic worries, and family difficulties. You may benefit from two or three sessions to address a specific area of concern, or you may find it helpful to use more sessions to address concerns that warrant more attention. Our services are focused on short-term counseling but referrals are often made for students who wish to consider longer-term counseling or psychotherapy.
Your counselor is a licensed mental health professional (clinical social worker, psychologist) who has been trained to help you identify and begin to resolve the issues and problems that are of concern to you. It is perfectly common and understandable to have some anxiety about seeing a counselor – your counselor will establish a safe and structured environment in which you can feel comfortable discussing your thoughts and feelings. The approach is non-judgmental and collaborative. Counselors help clarify options, provide support and understanding, assist with setting goals, explore feelings and correct misconceptions.
Sometimes, your initial experience with counseling doesn’t go as you thought or hoped it would, which can be disappointing or discouraging. There are multiple reasons this might be the case: talking about painful thoughts and feelings can be difficult; counseling may not offer the immediate relief you expected; and sometimes, it takes more time to better understand and work on your difficulties.
The Counseling Center is happy to talk to you about your experience and welcomes your feedback, so if you feel that a previous experience with counseling/therapy was dissatisfactory, we encourage you to let us know and give counseling another try by reaching out to us at therapy@pratt.edu.
After your consultation, you may be seen for short-term individual psychotherapy or creative arts therapy, provided with a referral for longer-term or specialized services, or referred to one of the Counseling Center’s groups.
Individual psychotherapy is also known as talk therapy. It is administered by trained professionals– including psychologists, social workers, licensed counselors, or psychiatrists– and entails collaborating with one’s provider to examine and gain insight into challenges, while improving the individual’s life.
Creative arts therapy is a mental health modality that combines psychotherapy with creative expression to aid the individual in healing, personal growth, and self-discovery. It is administered by mental health professionals who are trained as creative arts therapists.
Group therapy is a confidential space to grow alongside your peers, and to increase understanding of oneself and others. It usually involves one or more counselors who lead a group of 3-8 students. Typically, students meet for an hour or an hour and a half each week. Groups are sometimes designed to target a specific issue, like depression, anxiety, grief, or substance abuse. Other groups might focus more generally on improving social skills or distress tolerance, navigating one’s sexuality and gender, or helping students deal with anger, shyness, loneliness, stressors related to body image, or low confidence. Check out our Groups page [link here] for more information.
If individual short-term psychotherapy at the Counseling Center is recommended, students attend (on average) about four sessions with a Counselor. This may vary depending on the student. Therapy groups run throughout the year, and there is no cap in how many sessions students may attend.
The Counseling Center has one part-time psychiatrist who can prescribe and refill prescriptions that are not controlled substances. For students seeking a diagnosis of or medication for ADHD, we would refer you to psychoeducational testing or to a psychiatrist who specializes in ADHD.
We do not provide psychoeducational testing or a diagnosis for ADHD at the Counseling Center, but we do have an extensive referral list for psychoeducational testing services. Please email therapy@pratt.edu to schedule a consultation or for an updated list of testing referrals.
To request an ESA, your can request to enroll a support animal as an accommodation with the Learning Access Center (L/AC). Here’s a link to Pratt’s policy on ESAs, with the dates you would need to request that accommodation from the L/AC. After you enroll with the L/AC, a mental health provider who knows you well can fill out the ESA Request Form. Note: ESA requests are not guaranteed, and are approved on a case-by-case basis.
All conversations that occur between you and your therapist in the Counseling Center are confidential and private. By law, your privacy is protected. If you are having difficulty with your use of alcohol or drugs, you can speak safely with one of us. The information will not go on your academic record, and we do not share information with other departments in the school. We can help you explore your use in a non-confrontational and non-judgemental manner, and you decide what you would like to do next. We have many options for students who are struggling with alcohol or drug misuse (including our Clean Cats College Recovery Program). We can also make referrals to therapy treatment locations and provide support to the student who is struggling.
Occasionally, psychological problems prevent a student from being able to complete a semester’s work. A severe depressive episode is a common reason to suspend your studies temporarily. In this situation, the counseling office can help the student arrange a medical leave until the student is ready and able to continue at Pratt.
A psychiatric emergency occurs when someone’s mental health condition deteriorates to the point that they are unable to function and/or is a threat to their safety or the safety of others. This decline may be caused by a reaction to overwhelmingly bad news, a drug or alcohol overdose, a medication problem, or an acute mental condition. This may happen when someone threatens to commit suicide, or does not seem to be fully in control of their cognitive faculties.
In the case of a psychiatric emergency, you should contact The Counseling Center at 718.687.5356 for assistance. We also have after-hours contact available by calling our main number. In the event of an emergency, please call 988, 911, or Campus Security at 718.636.3540. If you are a student living in an on-campus residence hall, the RA or RD on duty may also provide assistance during a psychiatric emergency.
Absolutely not. Counseling records are not part of your academic record. The counseling process is confidential, and your counselor will strictly maintain that confidentiality. Some exceptions to confidentiality do apply: your counselor may need to share information in the event of a psychological emergency requiring hospitalization or in circumstances involving your safety or the safety of others. When these exceptions occur, you will be informed.
You can call to make an appointment atby reaching out to 718.687.5356 or therapy@pratt.edu, or you can come to The Counseling Center in Cannoneer to schedule an appointment with the Admin.