Counseling and Mental Health Services on Campus: A Handbook of Contemporary Practices and Challenges

This timely guide addresses the daunting challenge of meeting the increasing demand for mental health counseling services with limited resources. An invaluable resource for counselors and administrators presenting the most current practices, models, and approaches for addressing the mental health needs of today’s university students. In straightforward and clear language, James Archer Jr. and Stewart Cooper demonstrate how to organize, implement, and manage effective counseling, prevention, and development services on four year college campuses. Counseling and Mental Health Services on Campus explains how the efficient and effective models of brief therapy and group counseling are especially well-suited to the college environment and demonstrates how university programs can expand counseling services through the creative use of paraprofessionals, faculty, and staff, professional volunteers, and part-time staff. Archer and Cooper offer practical counseling approaches that will meet the needs of students with specific problems, such as substance abuse and eating disorders, as well as students with developmental concerns. The authors also suggest useful techniques and strategies for working with a variety of populations such as women, minority groups, gay, lesbian, and bisexual students, and adult learners. An innovative new approach is described which the authors call the initiator-catalyst approach and the book’s illustrative examples demonstrate the application and effectiveness of this important new model.