FAQs

  • Personal counseling is focused on the emotional, psychological, spiritual, and physical issues impacting one’s ability to function at a normal level. Typical issues include depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, self-esteem, anger management, grief and loss and many more.

    Academic counseling is designed to help students discover how to achieve their desired academic goals. It helps them become self-directed learners by developing effective skills for college success. Common topics are time management, study skills, test anxiety and testing strategies.

    Career counseling is designed to help students evaluate their abilities, talents, and personality characteristics in developing realistic academic and career goals. Decisions such as deciding what major you want, what kind of career you would be best suited for, and what careers warrant further investigation.

    However, CPS does NOT offer court-mandated or forensically oriented services to Kennesaw State University students, faculty or staff.

  • You can expect to work with a mental health professional who will assist you in identifying the areas in your life where you want to make changes and improvements. Your initial meeting will focus on determining the services most likely be of help to you. A variety of options are often recommended, including skill-building workshops, individual or group counseling, case management, medication evaluation, or referral to off-campus treatment. Students may be offered up to 16 individual counseling sessions per calendar year; however, most students are seen for 4-6 sessions. Group counseling services are unlimited. Students needing longer-term or more intensive treatment than CPS provides may be referred to off-campus providers.
  • Counseling offers the opportunity to identify the factors that contribute to difficulties and to deal effectively with the psychological, behavioral, interpersonal and situational causes of those difficulties.
  • You will meet one of our professional staff or a graduate student in training. All of our professional staff have at least a Master's degree in counseling or psychology and are licensed. Our graduate students are working toward their Master's or doctoral degrees and are closely supervised by one of our licensed staff. We have both male and female staff members to attempt to meet our client's needs.
  • Generally the information you share with a counselor will not be disclosed to anyone else without your written permission. Limits or exceptions to confidentiality include . . .
    • Imminent risk of harm to yourself or someone else.
    • Suspicion of abuse to a child (minor) or someone who is elderly.
    • Court Order.

Making an Appointment

  • Students who would like to begin counseling or who need to consult with a counselor can email or call our office during business hours.  More information about setting up your first visit can be found on our Let's Hoot Initial Consultation  page.  

    New student inquiries: counseling@kennesaw.edu

    Kennesaw Campus: 470-578-6600
    Marietta Campus: 470-578-7391

  • Your first visit is what we refer to as an Initial Consultation where you will complete some paperwork and then you and the counselor will talk. Usually at the first session the counselor will ask a series of questions to help determine what will be the best plan of action for future sessions.
  • As a primary method to address any emergency, CPS offers our Let's Hoot Initial Consultation hours.  After Hours Support or concerned for someone else?  Click on our Emergency page for more information.

  • Students who would like to begin counseling or who need to consult with a counselor can visit our office during our Let's Hoot Initial Consultation hours to complete an Initial Consultation.                  

    Kennesaw Campus, Kennesaw Hall, KH2401, 470-578-6600

    Monday - Thursday, 10:00am-4:00pm 

    Marietta Campus, Joe Mack Wilson Student Center, A170, 470-578-7391

    Tuesday - Thursday,  12:00pm-4:00pm

  • You and the counselor will determine how many sessions are needed to get you headed in the right direction toward your life goals.  

    Students may be offered up to 16 individual counseling sessions per calendar year; however, most students are seen for 4-6 sessions. Group counseling services are unlimited. Students needing longer-term or more intensive treatment than CPS provides may be referred to off-campus providers.

  • Counseling typically works best when you are able to work with the same counselor over the course of your visits. Nevertheless, we understand that scheduling and other forms of conflict may arise and result in a desire to change counselors. Counselor change requests can be made by completing an online form in our office.  Our Associate Director will review the request and contact you about making a change.

TeleMental Health

  • TeleMental Health means the mode of delivering services via technology-assisted media, such as but not limited to, a telephone, video, internet, a smartphone, tablet, PC desktop system or other electronic means using appropriate encryption technology for electronic health information. TeleMental Health facilitates client self-management and support for clients and includes synchronous interactions and asynchronous store and forward transfers. (Georgia Code 135-11-.01)

  • Our counselors will be providing services primarily through video conferencing via the Microsoft teams app. If you are an existing client, please reach out to your therapist directly. Once you are scheduled with your counselor, they will send you specific instructions on how to access the app and conference in to your appointment.

  • Yes, video conferencing in Microsoft Teams is encrypted and HIPAA compliant, which means that your session will remain secure and confidential.

  • No. Sessions will not be recorded and we ask that you also do not record our telehealth sessions.
    1. Log into Microsoft teams at least 10 minutes prior to your appointment to ensure there are no technical issues.
    2. Find a private space where you can speak freely and openly without being overheard or interrupted by others.  You may need to ask others in your space to respect your privacy by doing things like turning on entertainment in another room or listening to something on headphones.
    3. Try to arrange yourself in an as session-like position as you can. Settle into a nice comfortable seat.  Avoid lying down or watching TV.  A workspace environment would be best.
  • Please reach out to your counselor to discuss other options. The most likely alternative would be a phone call.
  • While telemental health sessions have their limitations, the data suggests that telemental health is effective for diagnosis and assessment across many populations (adult, child, geriatric, and ethnic) and for disorders in many settings (emergency, home health) and appears to be comparable to in-person care. However, your clinician will be able to discuss with you whether you are an appropriate fit for telemental health and provide you with other resources as needed.

Eligibility and Charges

  • All currently enrolled students are eligible to come for counseling. Brief consultations are available for students who have a concern about someone in their lives.

  • No. Services for counseling are free to all currently enrolled students.
  • Due to the demand for services and out of respect and fairness to other students seeking services, students who miss their scheduled appointment or fail to give 24 hours advanced notice for 2 appointments will be charged with a “No Show” that counts against their 16 session limit. Student arriving more than 15 minutes late will be rescheduled and charged with a “No Show”. Three “No Show” appointments in any one semester will result in forfeiture of services for the remainder of that semester and the following semester and a referral to off-campus providers. We also ask that you contact CPS or your counselor to inform us if you are no longer interested in services. 

Support Letters and Documentation

  • CPS does not provide documentation for any purpose that falls outside of supporting the academic mission of KSU. This includes documentation to assist with complying with legal mandates, such as court mandated anger management, substance abuse assessment, treatment or evaluation, child custody evaluations, domestic violence counseling or the fulfillment of probation or parole requirements.

    CPS staff does not provide letters at the time of an initial consultation and cannot provide documentation regarding a student's mental health without a history of services at CPS during the specified time period.  If necessary, students are encouraged to seek letters of support from professionals directly involved in their care such as past or present psychological/psychiatric providers, or medical health providers. 

  • Counseling and Psychological Services does not provide consultations or support documentation for emotional support animals (ESAs). 

    KSU Service and Emotional Support Animals on Campus Policy

    ESA documentation is typically only helpful for housing and travel-related situations, which is distinguishable from service animals. 

    Student Disability Services ESA Procedures

    Most off-campus providers are able to offer these services. Visit our off-campus referral database: 

    Off-Campus Referral Database

    We recommend that you contact a couple of providers to confirm if they are willing to provide ESA consultation/ documentation, how many sessions, and what price.  

    There are also some online services that provide ESA consultation and documentation, although they tend not to be as reputable:

    If you live off-campus and are renting, you would need to contact your landlord for their ESA documentation requirements.

If you have any serious concerns about your experience at Kennesaw State, please voice them at concern.kennesaw.edu