Counseling Center: New Student Info

Services Provided

The Robert Morris University (RMU) Counseling Center offers a variety of individual and group therapy services, all of which can have both benefits and risks. The counseling process may include discussions of your personal challenges and difficulties which can elicit uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, guilt, anger, and frustration. However, counseling has also been shown to have many benefits. It can often lead to better interpersonal relationships, improved academic performance, solutions to specific problems, and reductions in your feelings of distress. But, there is no assurance of these benefits.

Scheduling an Appointment

• The Counseling Center continues to provide counseling appointments, Monday - Friday / 9 am - 5 pm, through a hybrid model of both in-person and distance counseling (teletherapy) services.
• To schedule an appointment, please reach out to us by phone at 412-397-5900 or via email at counseling@rmu.edu.
• A staff member will assist you with the necessary details and can answer any questions you may have about our services.
• The center is located at Patrick Henry, Lower Level (entrance is to the left of the Nicholson lawn).

Client Rights and Responsibilities

Counseling Center clients have a right to be treated with respect, to know their therapist’s name and qualifications, to ask questions about services provided to them, to participate in making decisions about their treatment, to request that their therapist inform them of their progress, and to refuse a particular type of treatment or end treatment without any obligation or penalty. Any concerns should be first addressed with your therapist. If your issue is unable to be resolved, you have the right to schedule an appointment to speak to the Counseling Center Director. The therapeutic relationship is paramount to success. Clients have the right to request a new therapist if there are any compatibility concerns. A client who requests to see a different therapist will meet with the Counseling Center Director to discuss this decision and determine a plan of action. Counseling Center clients have a responsibility to describe their concerns/issues clearly and completely, to work toward their counseling goals, to attend all appointments unimpaired by the influence of drugs or alcohol, to be on time and keep all appointments for scheduled services at the Counseling Center, and/or to do their best to call or email no less than 24 hours in advance to cancel or reschedule appointments.

Confidentiality

In keeping with the ethical standards of the American Psychological Association, National Association of Social Workers, the American Counseling Association, and state and federal law, all services provided by the staff of the Robert Morris University Counseling Center are kept confidential except as noted below. As required by state and federal law and current ethical standards, we keep records of your counseling appointments. These records are stored electronically in an encrypted database. Only Counseling Center staff has access to your records. Neither the fact that you seek counseling or any information disclosed in counseling sessions will appear in your student record unless you specifically direct us to communicate with other staff and faculty at the university. In rare cases, Counseling Center staff members have a legal responsibility to disclose student information to parents/guardians or designated personnel without prior consent in certain situations. Exceptions to confidentiality may be made in the following circumstances:

• Serious immediate threat to your life or welfare
• Serious immediate threat to the life or welfare of another person or the community at large
• Suspicion or report of abuse or neglect of a child currently under the age of 18, or of a dependent older adult
• When required by a court of law
• Additionally, if your therapist feels that they have been stalked, physically/verbally threatened, or harassed by a client, they may, in consultation with the Counseling Center director, notify appropriate campus authorities.

We will follow university protocols for supporting students at risk of imminent harm. Consult with your therapist if you have any questions about confidentiality.

Counseling Policies 

Although we try to arrange initial counseling appointments promptly, a waiting list may occur during busy periods of the year. If you consider your situation an emergency that will not allow a delay, please inform the staff. For after-hours emergency services, contact Res Life, the University Police (412-397- 2424), or resolve Crisis Services (1-888-796-8226), or go to the nearest emergency room. 

Many issues typically encountered by students can be addressed with the short term counseling we provide. Your initial consultation is devoted to defining your concerns, developing a treatment plan, and determining whether the RMU Counseling Center can meet your needs. If at any point it is determined that other services are more suitable, we will help you obtain assistance from appropriate community providers. Non-compliance with the plan we develop to assist you could result in the termination of services. 

Please arrive/log in on time for your appointments. Missed appointments reduce our capacity to provide services to other students. Since demand for services is typically high, we ask that you only schedule appointments that you are confident you will keep. We understand, however, that it is sometimes necessary to cancel or reschedule an appointment. It is our firm policy that scheduled appointments must be cancelled at least 24 hours in advance.  Repeated cancellations or missed appointments may result in the termination of counseling at the RMU Counseling Center.                                      

Use of Electronic Mail 

Please be aware that e-mail may not be private or confidential and may not be read by the recipient in a timely fashion. As a result, email communications will be limited to non-clinical issues only (appointment scheduling, etc.).