For Parents

The college years can be a challenging time for parents and students alike. For your child, it is a time to develop independence and cultivate a unique identity and value system. While for many students it is a fun and exciting time of life, it can also be intimidating, demanding, and lonely at times. It is likely your child will encounter difficulties somewhere along the way to a Wesleyan degree, whether social, emotional, or academic. Most of the time, these difficulties are a predictable, normal part of navigating the path to adulthood.

Sometimes, however, students experience struggles they are not able to manage on their own. At these times, Counseling and Psychological Services is ready to assist in any way we can. We provide bi-weekly individual therapy, group therapy, case management, education and outreach, and consultation to students, faculty, and staff. We are located at 327 High Street in the Davison Health Center, and we can be reached at 860.685.2910 M-F 8:30-4:30. If you are concerned about your child, please encourage them to call us for an appointment. We have a dedicated, experienced staff of therapists who are passionate about working with college-aged people. We are ready to help.

Can I talk to a CAPS therapist about my child?

If you are worried about your child, we welcome your call. We will listen to your concerns and offer suggestions about what to do. However, if your child is already a client in our office, we require a signed Release of Information form before your child's therapist will be able to speak with you. The CAPS therapists observe the same confidentiality rules as community therapists; we do not disclose confidential information without specific consent except when we determine there is imminent risk to the client or to someone else.
What kinds of issues bring students to the counseling center?

Students seek therapy for a variety of concerns. Many struggle with the adjustment to college, while others are coping with family or parental conflict. Relationship issues are very common and may concern romantic partners, roommates, or friends. Many, many students deal with depression and/or anxiety. Concerns with eating and body image are common, and other students present to our office due to problems resulting from alcohol and/or substance use. Some have experienced trauma and need support processing it and moving forward in their lives.
How do I know if my child would be better served by a therapist in the Middletown community?
Several different factors can affect this decision. Our office runs according to a clinic model, which means we are not able to reserve the same day and time for a particular student on a weekly basis. If your child needs this level of predictability, then a therapist in the community may be a better choice. In general, our office utilizes a short-term model in order to maximize availability of our services to all students. We can often meet a student's request for fairly regular sessions over the academic year, but we cannot provide intensive weekly long-term therapy. If your child needs this model of treatment, a community therapist would probably be a better choice. Finally, some students simply prefer to see a therapist off-campus because it feels more private to them, even though our therapists are bound by the same confidentiality laws. If your child is considering a community therapist, see the Community Resources section of this website. While our office does not specifically recommend any particular therapist, we are happy to meet with your child to assist with the decision-making process. We welcome feedback about community therapists, because this helps us to provide better information to students in the future.
If I am concerned my child or my child's friend may be an experiencing an emergency situation, what do I do?
If you think an emergency may be occurring, please call us immediately at 860.685.2910. We have an on-call clinician who is available 24/7 to assist with emergencies. We also encourage you to call Wesleyan's Public Safety office at 860.685.2345.