Counseling Services at Penn State Scranton is committed to supporting the emotional, psychological, educational, social and cultural development of our students. We provide short-term counseling for academic and personal concerns, as well as proactive programming and consultation.
Personal Counseling for Students
Our licensed counselor Katherine J. Stefanelli, Ph.D., LPC is on campus to assist all our students with group and individual counseling, crisis intervention, and case management. All services are confidential and available to students at no cost.
Counseling Services at PSSN strictly protects the confidentiality of information shared during sessions. Information about you and your use of counseling services cannot be released to anyone without your written permission.
Counseling appointments for students during social distancing.
Counseling Services will continue to operate to meet the needs of students and the campus community while following the remote learning protocol and social distancing during the Coronavirus outbreak.
All counseling appointments for the Fall of 2020 will be provided via phone and/or Zoom Video Conferencing. Contact Kathy at email: [email protected], or call 570-963-2694 to make an appointment.
Phone
Counseling via the telephone at Penn State is HIPAA complaint.
Zoom Video Conferencing
Zoom Video Conferencing at Penn State is HIPAA complaint when NOT recorded, and encrypted for such use by the distributor. Zoom may be an option for counseling sessions. Dr. Stefanelli must ZOOM from her office on campus.
New Student Client Appointments
New student clients are encouraged to email Dr.Stefanelli ([email protected]) to schedule a new appointment for counseling, as needed.
If you have an emergency, please call 911 or proceed to GCMC on Mulberry Street in Scranton, as they have Clinical Mental Health workers on call at all times.
Crisis Line
Students experiencing emotional distress can:
- Call the 24/7 Penn State Crisis Line: (877) 229-6400
- Text the 24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text “LIONS” to 741741.
- For emergencies, please contact 911.
Referrals
When to Refer
Although students are most often self-referred for counseling, referrals can come from faculty, staff, parents and friends. Please refer a student to Counseling Service if you see concerning behaviors that may include:
- Frequent absences
- Sudden decline in quality of academic performance
- Significant decrease in energy or motivation
- A highly adverse event such as assault, abuse, or death of loved one)
- Escalating stress or anxiety
- References to bodily injury, suicidal thoughts, or harm to others
Off-Campus Resources
Penn State Counseling and Psychological Services provides short-term individual services. We often refer students with ongoing or chronic conditions to local providers. To find a private practitioner in the local community, visit psu-scranton.thrivingcampus.com.
Stress Management
Finding ways to reduce stress and anxiety is critical to your overall health and wellness. Try to create meaningful breaks for yourself throughout the day. You might taking time to read a book, keep a journal, meditate, get out into nature, explore a new hobby, etc.
Below are 4 resources to help you get started:
- Healthy Penn State “Manage Stress Workbook”
- Penn State Pro Wellness Mindfulness Journal – A guide for bringing healthy choices to life!
- Life Hacks hosted by CAPS
- Penn State Lion Pulse Mental Health and Wellness Materials