College students often have more stress on their plate than they can handle, but not all students have access to a counseling center near their classes. Upon appointment, The Counseling Clinic will now send counselors to the Arts Resource Center (ARC), a small library at River Campus.

Before, River Campus students could only access The Counseling Clinic via Zoom appointments or by commuting to the Scully building. Mental health counseling graduate and clinic liaison at River Campus Braden Johnston said these students had difficulty accessing counseling.

“We implemented [the counseling program] to allow the students over there to get counseling services,” Johnston said. “For people who live and spend most of their time on River Campus, it's a bit of a pain to commute to Scully just for counseling services. This is to make things more convenient.”

Counselors at the clinic are graduate students completing their internship in the second year of the counseling program. The clinic provides instruction for counselors-in-training and allows them to complete their required practice hours. On average, counselors range from 21 to 25 years old.

Mental health counseling graduate and assistant for the Scully training clinic Alli McKeever said the clinic’s counselors being younger may be more relatable to students.

“The sessions are more student-focused since the counselors are also students,” McKeever said. “There is another counseling service on campus. Those counselors have their licenses. We’re different because we’re closer to clients’ ages, [so we can] relate to the struggles you go through in college.”

The other counseling service is the Center for Behavioral Health and Accessibility in Crisp Hall, which allows students to meet with licensed counselors. Senior art major Lilly Dean goes to counseling appointments every two weeks through this center.

“I would recommend it,” Dean said. “I think it's a great starting point if you're thinking about therapy. I think it's a good low-risk option because it's free.”

All counseling services on campus are free. If a student doesn’t feel the service is benefiting them, they can cancel 24 hours before their appointment. Students can also change counselors after three appointments to find the right pairing. For more information on mental health services available at SEMO, visit the campus website. To schedule an appointment with The Counseling Clinic, students may call (573) 651-5169. Appointments are available 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday.