Student Health and Counseling

Health Services

The Student Health Center is located at 200 Generals Lane. The Student Health Center is used for outpatient care, and the Infirmary is used for inpatient care of non-critical illnesses and injuries that occur during the year, excluding holiday and vacation periods. A physician and a counselor are on call to assist with after-hours urgent care when the Student Health Center is open.

To make an appointment at the SHC please call (540) 458-8401.

College is a time to learn how to balance your personal, social and academic life. For more information on healthy eating, fitness, managing stress, getting enough sleep, sex and relationship issues, and staying healthy contact the Office of Health Promotion.

The following websites have some great information to help you get started or answer questions you may have:

  • Student Health 101 - W&L's e-health monthly magazine has 5 feature articles each month plus lots of interesting tips to keep yourself healthy while in college.

If you or others have any problems with health and lifestyle issues, become ill, or feel overwhelmed contact the Student Health Center (SHC) and/or the University Counseling Center.

The Counseling Center

Please explore the University Counseling website for more information.

To make an appointment with the Counseling center call (540) 458-8590.

W&L students can receive counseling for any problems (social, academic or emotional). First-year students are encouraged to seek assistance from the Assistant Dean for First-Year Experience, the staff of the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs, the academic deans, their faculty adviser, the University Registrar, physicians and/or counselors.

University Counseling Services is located on the first floor of the Early Fielding University Center and is staffed by four full-time, experienced counselors. There is no cost for individual or group sessions, and the number of appointments a student may have is not limited. All meetings with a counselor are confidential. Many students who use University Counseling Services are referred by their peers, and there is a high level of trust due to the confidence the student body places in Counseling Services. Urgent time is from 3:30-4:30 PM on Monday-Friday. There is also a counselor on-call after hours in the event of an emergency, who can be contacted through the staff on duty at the Student Health Center.

Counseling is useful for a broad range of issues including, but not limited to, relationship difficulties, self-esteem, sexuality, anger management, academic achievement, grief and family. Some students may experience more severe problems such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorders or sexual assault. Students may also have pre-existing problems that require periodic monitoring. Counseling Services can provide direct psychotherapy services, assessment of academic problems, psychiatric evaluation and (with student consent) collaboration with faculty, administrative personnel or parents to provide necessary support. The physicians in the Student Health Center and the staff psychiatrist in Counseling Services can assist students with appropriate medication management.

Counseling Services provides a variety of educational programs and group sessions on topics such as gender relations, sexual harassment, sexual assault, diversity, grief, body image and eating issues, sexual orientation, crisis intervention and stress management.

Counselors also provide training for faculty, staff and students on how to recognize and assist students with psychological problems . In addition to the professional counseling staff, there is a team of student peer counselors who are trained to listen and assist students with a wide range of problems . Peer Counselors also work with residence hall advisers to better assist with issues that may arise in students' living environments.