At times, students may start college not knowing what career direction they want to pursue. Others may find that their academic and career interests have changed or that their academic program or career situation is not meeting their needs. Our goal is to assist you to better understand your values, interests, abilities and personality style, so you can pursue a program and career that fits you.

We want to make sure that you decide on a career that you will feel passionate about for years to come.

Career counseling is designed to provide more intensive assistance to those who are having significant difficulties with career- or program-related concerns and may already have tried other resources. A Career Planning Workshop is an important first step and will allow for structured discussion between you and a counselor.

Conflict Management Services (CMS) staff remain objective and neutral in assisting with student-related conflicts. The primary goal is to facilitate “win-win” agreements, where better communication and understanding improves relationships and promotes academic success. 

The CMS staff can help with conflicts, such as student code of conduct issues, academic disagreements, interpersonal conflicts, discrimination/harassment allegations and non-academic student grievances. A variety of services and resources are offered including counseling, consultation, mediation, crisis prevention and intervention to help manage conflicts between individuals or within groups. A major purpose of CMS is to help students learn conflict management skills so they can effectively work through conflicts without prematurely resorting to formal grievance procedures or withdrawing from difficult situations.

Concerns/Complaints Information

If you are experiencing a crisis, Counseling Services staff members are available during regular office hours to see you or consult with you, faculty/staff or parents in person or by phone. We define a crisis as a situation in which a person appears to feel greatly overwhelmed and unable to cope with some problem, is experiencing increased stress or is unable to think or act clearly or appropriately, yet feels pressure to make a decision, take some action or make some kind of immediate change.

The primary goal of any crisis intervention is to reach you in high levels of stress and to provide you with enough support to prevent the development of more serious problems. The counselor works with you to relieve symptoms and restore you to an adequate level of functioning.

If you are in crisis and need immediate assistance, you can walk in during our office hours and be seen by one of our on-call counselors. If possible, please call ahead of time and let us know that you are coming. Let the receptionist know that you are in crisis and need to see someone as soon as possible. We do not provide services after hours and on holidays. However, we are committed to helping Madison College students in crisis. If you have an emergency, please call a helpline. If you are off campus, dial 911. If your emergency cannot wait, call or go to your local emergency hospital. 

Counseling provides an opportunity for you to learnhow  to make better choices, improve interpersonal skills, develop increased confidence and increase educational effectiveness. In a one-on-one meeting with a counselor, you are helped to explore and express feelings, examine beliefs and ways of thinking about your present situation, reflect on patterns of behavior, and work toward making healthy changes. 

Personal counseling services are brief in nature and a student must be currently enrolled at Madison College in order to take advantage of this specific service.

Typical concerns of students who seek counseling include: 

• Transition and change
• Uncertainty about values and goals
• Personal relationships with friends
• Family concerns
• Issues of grief and loss
• Stress, depression and anxiety
• Lack of motivation; concentration difficulties
• Abuse of alcohol and other drugs
• Access appropriate community resources

Madison College Counseling Services subscribes to the Screening for Mental Health's Online Screening Program. You can use this program's online questionnaires to find out if you have symptoms of depression or bipolar disorder (manic-depression), generalized anxiety disorder, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder or alcohol abuse. This is not a substitute for a complete mental health evaluation and does not result in a diagnosis, but rather provides and indication of whether or not your symptoms are consistent with a particular illness.

The faculty in the Department of Counseling and College Success offesr a variety of 1- to 3-credit courses designed to help you learn skills and strategies for success in college and in life. 

Search for courses and learn more about current class offerings.

ULifeline is an anonymous, confidential online resource center, where college students can be comfortable searching for the information they need and want regarding mental health and suicide prevention. ULifeline is a program of The Jed Foundation, the nation’s leading organization working to prevent suicide and improve the mental health of college students. It is overseen by an expert board of mental health professionals.

The eCheckUp To Go website was developed specifically for college students by the Alcohol and Other Drug Education Program staff. The site offers quality resources covering all aspects of wellness. In addition to current information, you'll also find fun and interactive opportunities.

Madison College Counseling Services subscribes to the Screening for Mental Health Online Program. Students can use this program's online questionnaires to find out if they have symptoms of depression or bipolar disorder (manic-depression), generalized anxiety disorder, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder or alcohol abuse.

PsychCentral offers a variety of free psychological tests and quizzes for determining if you have symptoms commonly associated with various disorders. You also can find information on conditions, research and resources for help.

If you took the ENGAGE for Sucess assessment, explore the Student Success Toolkit, which contains tools and tips for each individual section of your ENGAGE score. In addition to self-guided activities, campus resources and helpful workshops also are identified to aid in developing strategies for improvement.

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