About our Services
Counseling and Consultation (C&C) offers faculty, staff, and parents the opportunity to talk with a counselor about concerns they may have about an ASU student. As a consultant, our role is to help you determine the best course of action for addressing your concern. We accomplish this by discussing your concerns and brainstorming with you ways in which you can help. Current students are able to discuss concerns they have about another student, a relative, or friend.
We also work with student groups and campus departments to assist in providing services for students. Often friends, family members, and/or mentors are in a good position to positively influence a student and encourage her/him to seek help.
Some common situations in which we consult are:
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Student exhibiting unusual behavior or expressing safety concerns in a residence hall |
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Professors expressing concern about the well-being of a student |
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Parents concerned about their student’s academic functioning |
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Student concerned about the behaviors or habits of another student |
Situations in which multiple students experience a traumatic event, C&C staff are available to meet with all involved to help sort out their reactions and determine their needs. While some of our time is spent addressing crisis situations, the person that you are concerned about does not have to be in crisis to talk with a counselor.
A few reasons why people consult with C&C staff are to:
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get ideas for how to suggest to someone that they get professional assistance |
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become aware of the services and resources available to help with a particular concern |
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learn how to refer a student to our services |
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request that we meet with students who are dealing with a difficult situation |
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learn more about our services |
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learn about community resources available to help someone |
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get ideas about how to prevent a negative situation from starting or worsening |
Consulting services are free to members of the ASU community.
Indicators of Students in Crisis
Students in crisis may exhibit the following warning indicators:
Early Warning Signs
- None of these warning indicators alone is sufficient for predicting mental health problems, aggression and/or violence.
- When presented in combination, they indicate the need for documentation and further analysis to determine an appropriate intervention.
Academic Indicators
- Missed assignments
- Deterioration in quality of work
- A drop in grades
- Repeated absences from class
- A negative change in classroom performance
Academic Indicators
- Verbal aggressiveness in class meetings
- Disorganized or erratic performance
- Continual seeking of special accommodations (late papers, extensions, postponed examinations, etc.)
- Essays or creative work that indicate extremes of hopelessness, social isolation, rage, or despair
Personal / Interpersonal Indicators
- Tearfulness
- Unprovoked anger or hostility
- Excessive dependency
- Expressions of hopelessness or worthlessness
- Exaggerated personality traits (e.g., more withdrawn or animated than normal)
Personal / Interpersonal Indicators
- Direct statements indicating distress, family problems, or other difficulties
- A hunch or gut-level reaction that something is wrong
- Expressions of concern about a student in the class by his/her peers
Physical Indicators
- Deterioration in physical appearance
- Visible changes in weight
- Lack of personal hygiene
- Excessive fatigue
- Coming to class bleary-eyed, hung over, or smelling of alcohol
- Appearing sick or ill
Safety Risk Indicators
- Any written note or verbal statement that has a “sense of finality” (suicidality)
- Statements to the effect that the student is “going away for a long time”
- Severe depression
- Any history of suicidal thoughts or attempts
Safety Risk Indicators
- Giving away of prized possessions
- Self-injurious or self-destructive behaviors
- Out-of-control behavior
- Essays or papers that focus on despair, suicide, death, violence or aggression
- Verbal or written (email) threats of harm to self or others
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Responding to Distressed Students
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Give the individual time to run down |
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Use a calm voice |
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Be receptive to problem-solving |
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Ask for specific complaints to be put in writing |
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State the facts without comment |
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Ask, "How do you want this discussion to end?" |
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Seek help, consultation, and referral |
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Additional Campus Resources
Counseling and Consultation, call week days 480.965.6146 (in urgent situations, request to speak to the counselor on duty and let the receptionist know who you are and what kind of service you are requesting)
Crisis Consultation, after hours call EMPACT 480.921.1006 (a dedicated ASU phone line)
ASU Department of Public Safety, call anytime 480.965.3456 or 911 in an emergency situation
Dean of Students, Student Advocacy and Assistance 480.965.5852
Student Life, Student Judicial Affairs 480.965.6547
Affirmative Action 480.965.5057
Employee Assistance Office 480.965.2271
Office of General Counsel 480.965.4550
For general safety information, see www.asu.edu/vpsa/safety
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