Counseling Services FAQs

The Counseling Center is in the lower level of Theresa Hall, Room 016. The Director’s office is two doors down, Room 013.

Most appointments are in person, though we also offer remote sessions.

The best way to request an appointment is to fill out our online request form.

You may also email us at CounselCtr@ndm.edu.

Some are generally stressed or feeling down. Others want help with a specific question or concern. Some have long-standing issues that they want to resolve, others want a place to talk about daily events and have someone listen and not judge them.

Some of the more common problems have been anxiety, relationship difficulties, depression and family problems.

Appointments are usually for 45 minutes, once a week. Some students go only one time and others go for the entire year. This is something that you and your counselor can determine.

Aside from the Director and Assistant Director of Counseling Services, the counselors are psychology graduate students pursuing their master's or doctoral degrees from area colleges. They are typically in advanced stages of their training and are experienced and closely supervised. Our clients report very positive experiences from their counseling sessions.

No. Counseling is free to all students enrolled in any program at Notre Dame of Maryland University.

Yes, the Center offers:

• Group Counseling
• Consultations
• Workshops
• Referrals
• Chat with a Counselor/Drop In - one-time, brief confidential consultations for students unsure if they want ongoing counseling or have. Request via this link.

If the center is unable to provide a particular service requested, the staff can usually direct you to someone who can.

Only counseling center clinical staff has access to Counseling Center files. Files are confidential and separate from your academic record.

Counseling is a confidential process designed to help you address a wide variety of personal concerns by coming to a greater understanding of yourself and learning more effective coping strategies.

It is important to know that counseling entails sharing information that is often sensitive or private in nature, and it can require a good deal of work on an emotional level. Because of this, people have widely varying reactions to the process: everything from hesitation and anxiety to enthusiasm and elation.

Please know that all of these reactions are normal, and that a majority of people leave feeling they have had a positive and productive experience.

Remember, this is your counseling process and you can make the most of sessions available to you by taking an active part in deciding how you use your time, being honest with yourself and your counselor, and giving feedback to your counselor about your experience.

Please see our Crisis Information page for more detailed information.  If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or Baltimore Crisis Response Center at 410-433-5255.  If you are at immediate risk of danger, please go to your nearest Emergency Department or call 911. 

All interactions with the Counseling Services department are strictly confidential, including attendance at appointments, content of sessions, progress in counseling, and clinical records.

No record of counseling is contained in any academic records, nor is it available to other college/campus personnel, potential employers, family, or anyone else without your explicit, written permission.

Although exceptions to this confidentiality mandate are rare, the most major exceptions are listed below:

• You present a clear and imminent danger to yourself or others.
• There is disclosure or strong suspicion of physical and/or sexual abuse or neglect of minors, persons with disabilities, and/or the elderly.
• The courts order a release of client records or testimony of client information.

For the above matters, NDMU counseling staff is legally and ethically required to move outside the realm of confidentiality and involve others (i.e. contact appropriate NDMU staff and/or family members to provide assistance).

You should also be aware that professional ethics of counseling/social work/psychology encourage clinicians to regularly review their cases and consult with other similarly trained, licensed clinicians in order to provide the best possible care.