College students typically encounter a great deal of stress (i.e., academic, social, family, work, financial) during the course of their educational experience. While most students cope successfully with the demands of college life, for some the pressures can become overwhelming and unmanageable.
The following counselors have been retained by the College. Students who feel they could benefit from these services should call one of the following for an appointment. Students may meet with a counselor for up to 15 visits per academic year at no charge.
Counseling Services FAQs
Who can be helped by counseling?
How does counseling help?
What counseling services are offered at Daemen?
Meet the counselors
Can I just walk in and see a counselor?
How do I make an appointment?
Where are counseling services offered?
What can I expect in the first session?
How often and for how long would I meet with a counselor?
What does it mean that the sessions are “confidential?”
What do I do in an emergency?
May I go off-campus for counseling?
What am I waiting for?
Who can be helped by counseling?
Any student! If you are experiencing an issue that is affecting your personal happiness, mental health, relationships, and/or academic or work success, you may benefit from counseling. Issues that may be addressed in counseling include (but are not limited to):
Adjusting to college life
Difficulties with motivation or decision-making
Relationship difficulties (with friends, family members, partners, roommates)
Exam stress and anxiety, concerns about grades, difficulty focusing
Career uncertainty
Low self-esteem or self-confidence
Depression, loneliness, anxiety, grief
Feeling suicidal and that life is not worth living
Worries about eating, drinking, or drug use
Finding it difficult to make friends or communicate effectively with others
Struggling with a history of traumatic events (childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, physical abuse, domestic violence, car accident)
Coping with the illness or death of loved ones or your own illness
How does counseling help?
Counseling helps you develop an increased awareness of your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and relationships. It can provide you with new skills and help you to recognize and utilize your personal strengths and external resources so that you can make the changes needed to improve your well-being.
Therapy has been shown to have positive benefits for many who undertake it. It often leads to significant reduction of feelings of distress, better relationships, and resolutions of specific problems. There are also some potential risks of therapy; these may include experiencing uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, and frustration, as well as sometimes discussing unpleasant aspects of your life or yourself.
What counseling services are offered at Daemen?
Daemen College hires mental health professionals to provide one-on-one individual psychotherapy services. Students may participate in up to fifteen psychotherapy sessions per academic year, and these services are FREE and CONFIDENTIAL. All counselors schedule appointments right on campus for your convenience, and some offer evening and weekend appointments.
Meet the counselors
Daemen College hires licensed professionals – psychologists, social workers, and mental health counselors -- to provide individual psychotherapy services to students. Some counselors may have particular areas of expertise; however, all counselors have the experience and expertise to address most issues of concern to students.
Currently, Daemen’s counselors are:
Deloris Fields, L.M.S.W.
(716) 837-7878 Please call for an appointment
Nick Gazzoli, M.S., Addictions/Mental Health Counselor
(716) 913-7501 Please call for an appointment
Anne Gilles-Thomas, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist
(716) 839-8337 Mondays & Fridays, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM; Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Can I just walk in and see a counselor?
Unfortunately, we are not able to provide emergency walk-in appointments at this time. See “What do I do in an emergency?” for guidance in handling a crisis/emergency situation.
How do I make an appointment?
You may make an appointment with the counselor of your choice by calling that counselor’s phone number. Please be aware that it can be difficult to reach them directly. Chances are you will need to leave a voicemail message and provide them with good times to reach you. All are committed to returning your call promptly.
Where are counseling services offered?
Most appointments are held in the Counseling Services office, located on the first floor of Wick.
What can I expect in the first session?
Your first appointment is a consultation session in which both you and the counselor get a clearer sense about your concerns and needs. You may first be asked to complete some questionnaires which provide the counselor with more information about you and your background, and then you will talk with the counselor about your concerns. You will have a chance to ask questions about what you can expect from counseling. Together you will set goals for what you want to accomplish. Depending on the counselor and on you, this consultation phase may last more than one session.
If student concerns require interventions that are outside the scope of our services, the counselor will offer referrals to other services on campus and in the community.
How often and for how long would I meet with a counselor?
You and your counselor will decide together on the frequency of appointments (e.g., weekly, bi-monthly, or maybe just for occasional “check-in” sessions). Sessions usually last 45 minutes. The duration of counseling depends on your goals and progress. Remaining in counseling is voluntary.
Your commitment, motivation, and honesty are necessary to make counseling work, and you are an active participant in the ongoing decisions about what happens in the sessions.
What does it mean that the sessions are “confidential?”
For counseling to work best, there must exist between the student and the counselor an air of trust and privacy. For this reason, and in order to uphold the ethical and legal standards of the mental health professions, counselors keep everything that is disclosed in counseling confidential. This means that, unless you give the counselor permission to do so, the counselor may not disclose to anyone on campus (including professors and administrators) anything that you share with the counselor. They also may not share information about you with your parents, romantic partner, roommates, or anyone else. There are a few, very rare exceptions to this policy of confidentiality, and they include situations in which there is serious risk of danger to self or others.
What do I do in an emergency?
An emergency involves one or more of the following:
Behavior or verbal threat indicating harm to oneself
Behavior or verbal threat indicating harm to someone else
Inability for an individual to care for her/himself
Note: All threats of suicide or violence against someone else should be taken seriously. If the threat is immediate, call police without hesitation. If the threat is not immediate, consult right away with a counselor or Residence Life staff member.
For immediate help
Police: 911
Campus Security: (716) 839-8246
Residence Life: (716) 839-8200
Crisis Services (716) 834-3131
You may follow up a crisis with a call to one of our counselors to schedule an appointment.
Other emergency phone numbers
Crisis Services: (716) 834-3131
24 hour help line provides immediate response to callers experiencing a personal, emotional or mental health crisis
Haven House: (716) 884-6000
Provides emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence, as well as counseling, advocacy, and support
Rape and Domestic Violence Hotline (local): (716) 834-3131
National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
New York State Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-342-3720 or 911
May I go off-campus for counseling?
Of course! You may go wherever you like to obtain counseling services. Here is a list of some local agencies providing counseling; all require a fee based on insurance and ability to pay:
Catholic Charities (716) 856-4494 Personal counseling
http://ccwny.org/
Horizon Health Services (716) 831-1800 Personal and/or substance abuse counseling
http://www.horizon-health.org/
Jewish Family Service (716) 883-1914 Personal counseling
http://www.jfsbuffalo.org/
Life Transitions Center (716) 836-6460 Grief counseling
http://www.hospicebuffalo.com/content/pages/ltchomepage
Mental Health Assoc. of Erie County (716) 886-1242 Personal counseling
http://www.eriemha.org/
What am I waiting for?
Good question! Each year, many Daemen students participate in personal counseling. If you think you might benefit from trying it, even if you’re a little nervous about it, please make an appointment and see if it might be right for you. HINT: Don’t wait till a problem becomes huge to call. You will likely experience the most benefits if you catch a problem early.