Parent Information

The college experience can present many unique challenges for students and their families. To help make the college transition easier:

• Maintain a supportive relationship with your student, especially during the first year.
• Allow space for your child to approach you and set an agenda for some of your conversations.
• Be realistic and specific with your child about financial issues, including what you will and will not pay for, as well as your expectations for how they will spend money.
• Be realistic about your student′s academic performance recognizing that not every straight-A student in high school will be a straight-A student in college. Help your student set reasonable academic goals and encourage them to seek academic assistance when needed.
• Refrain from burdening your child with problems from home that they have no control over and can do nothing about.
• Obtain contact information for people involved in the various aspects of your child′s college experience, and involve your child in a collaborative effort to address the problem.
• Accept your emotions. It is normal to have mixed feelings when your children leave home. It is normal to feel some level of pain and loss and also some relief when your children leave for college.
• Support yourself. Develop and maintain your own social support and do your best to maintain your own sense of well-being.

Counseling services as a resource for parents

We provide consultation to parents concerned about their students. Such consultations can focus on a range of issues, including how to assist a student experiencing a difficult situation, how to refer a student to our services, and how to locate an appropriate mental health treatment provider.

Services

Individual sessions
Educational sessions by request
Phone consultation

To schedule a consultation, call 724-847-4081.

Confidentiality and Parents

Confidentiality is an essential part of any counseling relationship. Geneva College Health & Counseling Services staff members adhere to the ethical standards of their respective professions and to state and federal laws of confidentiality. These standards and laws prevent us from speaking with concerned parents about their student′s contact with the center unless we have the student′s written permission. Thus, unless your student gives us written permission, we cannot acknowledge whether your student has or has not been seen at the center or is making progress in counseling. The only exceptions occur when a student is under 18 years of age, when we are concerned that a student is clearly and imminently suicidal, when we learn of ongoing child abuse, or when we are ordered by a court of law to release confidential information.

Many students prefer to keep their counseling completely private, and such privacy is typically vital for successful counseling. Assuming your student is, however, willing to have one of the counselors discuss his or her participation in counseling with you, one good way to arrange for this is by asking your student to have the counselor call you during a counseling session. The counselor will then have your student complete and sign the necessary form, and may call you using a speaker telephone so that all concerned can participate in the conversation. Note that, in general, counseling is best served if everything parents have to share with the counselor is also shared with their student.

Even if your student doesn't give his or her counselor permission to provide information to you, you may choose to contact a counselor to share your concerns. Such contact may make sense, for example, if you are concerned that your student is in serious danger. Note, however, that the counselor will not be able to even acknowledge knowing your student, and that the counselor will want to discuss any information you provide with the student.

Please contact Amy Solman, Director: Health & Counseling Services, if you have any questions: 724-847-4081 or alsolman@geneva.edu