Located on the second floor of the Student Union in room S14, West Liberty University’s (WLU) Office of Counseling Services “offers students the opportunity to address personal difficulties that interfere with academic adjustment, academic performance, address mental health issues and facilitate a process of social and emotional well-being.” As a free and confidential service, counseling appointments are available over secure HIPAA compliant video zoom sessions as well as in-office sessions with WLU COVID-19 compliant protocols and practices. The office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. throughout the week.

To schedule a counseling appointment, students can go to their WINS account on any internet browser, sign in and navigate to the “Student Services” tab, there, the option to “Request a Counseling Session” will be available at the bottom of the provided list of links. However, this isn’t the only way an appointment can be made, as students may also reach out to WLU’s Director of Counseling Services, Lisa Witzbeger, at [email protected], or call the office at (304) 336-8215. To make a referral for someone you’d like to be contacted by the Office of Counseling Services, there is a referral box located outside of the office door. There is also the option of walk-in appointments pending counselor availability. In the event of a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or WLU’s Campus Police at (304) 336-8021 directly.

Outside of offering counseling, the office also provides students with multiple other resources as avenues for help, betterment, and healing, these include but are not limited to; West Virginia’s Emotional Strength Line, Online Therapy, Your Guide to the Transition from High School to College and Adulthood, Stress Management, Parent Handbook on Alcohol, and The Ultimate Guide to Sleeping Well on a College Campus, as well as countless other readily available resources for mental health, suicide prevention, sexual assault and domestic violence, eating disorders, and substance misuse and abuse. The office also offers avenues of help for specific populations, such as veterans or members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

As stated on the Office of Counseling Service’s webpage, whatever your mental health journey might look like, and regardless of what you might be dealing with personally, it is imperative to keep in mind that “seeking help or advice is not an admission of weakness, but a demonstration of your determination to help yourself during a period of adjustment or challenging time.”