Counseling Services

• Students who are enrolled in courses for the current semester
• Students residing in Goodwin College’s Emergency Housing
• Immediate family members of Goodwin students, who meet the above stated eligibility, are also eligible for short term services. This often will alleviate some stress, while the therapist conducts a proper assessment and links the immediate family member to appropriate services. (Sessions are limited and based on the therapist’s availability)
• Faculty and staff seeking referrals/immediate crisis intervention/and to assist in connecting them to a therapist who specializes in the area of their need(s) through the Employee Assistance Program. (Faculty and staff are offered 1 session with the therapist)

Goodwin College is extremely careful about protecting the confidentiality of student records. Information about visits will not be disclosed without the student’s permission to any college staff or faculty member or to family, friends or roommates except in very specific circumstances.

Those circumstances are limited to:

• If the student is believed to be in danger to him or herself or someone else
• Suspected abuse or neglect of a vulnerable individual such as a child, the elderly or someone cognitively or physically limited
• If a student’s lawyer introduces the student’s state-of-mind in a trial, therapy records might then become an open book
• If a court compels a therapist to testify about what is discussed in therapy. This is not often done, but most ethics codes state that therapists are required to follow court orders.
• A student’s insurance company often gets detailed information on therapy sessions
• Therapy records might be a part of a larger medical record. If treatment occurs within a large healthcare system, then all therapy notes might be available to any health provider treating a student for any purpose.

With a student’s written consent, the therapist may provide clinical information to other professionals for the purpose of further treatment.

Written recordings of individual and group therapy sessions might be reviewed by the therapist’s supervisor for consultation on treatment planning.

When a student has an immediate mental health concern for themselves or another person, he or she can contact Latoya Watson, Therapist, at (860) 218-1791. After normal working hours or if the therapist is not available, emergency response is initiated by calling 911. The therapist also coordinates and assists with follow-up to such emergencies.

Students cannot schedule appointments for anyone but themselves. This is to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of students.

If a student is concerned about another student, he or she should contact the therapist for suggestions on how to handle the situation. If the student is in critical need of services (mentally decompensating or has expressed suicidal or homicidal ideation), call 911 immediately!