Counseling Center

Let’s Talk is a free and confidential consultation service. Students are able to meet with counseling staff from the St. Kate’s Counseling Center for 10–15 minute conversations (available on a first come, first served basis). The counselor will listen to your concerns and provide support, perspective, and suggestions for resources.

Let’s Talk is not counseling.

Let’s Talk is not a replacement for ongoing counseling or for students in crisis. Let’s Talk is a drop-in service where students can have an informal consultation with a counselor.

Let’s Talk is a good fit for

• Students who have questions about counseling and what it’s like to be in counseling.
• Students whose concerns do not require ongoing counseling but would like the brief perspective of a counselor.
• Students who are not in crisis, but have a specific problem and would like to review options for that problem.
• Students who have a concern about a friend and want ideas about how to help that friend.

Group counseling is available to current students at no cost. There are no session limits. Whether you want to overcome challenges, improve relationships, connect with others, or learn how to manage stress, anxiety, or depression, group counseling is a powerful tool for growth and change. Registration is required.

If you haven’t been to the counseling center before or are not currently seeing a counselor individually, you must attend an initial appointment before beginning group. The counselor you meet with during this appointment will give you more information about the group you’re interested in and help you with next steps for joining the group. To schedule an initial appointment, call 651-690-6805 or fill out an online scheduling form. If you are already connected with a counselor at our center, ask them to give you more information on joining group.

Spring 2020 Group Opportunities

• You’ve Got This! Mindful Strategies to Strengthen Well-Being
  4-session psycho-educational group offered multiple times throughout the semester
  Tuesdays, 12-1 p.m.
  This group is a series of four skills-based workshops focused on building coping skills for managing life’s ups and downs. The sessions will emphasize mindful practice for calming the mind and body, skills for relating well to thoughts and emotions, and strategies for improving communication and connection.
• Support for Survivors of Sexual Violence
  Thursdays, every other week, 4-5:30 p.m.
  This is a support group focused on healing and coping with any and all experiences of sexual violence. For students of all identities seeking a safe place to confirm that you are not alone in your reactions and/or feelings. In this group, the focus will be on discovering others who can understand.
• Interpersonal Process Group
  Wednesdays, 4-5:30 p.m.
  Want to improve your relationships or feel better about yourself? Interested in connecting in a deep and meaningful way with other students? Are you noticing a pattern in your relationships that you’d like to change or understand better? Would you like honest feedback about how you relate to others? This group will provide a safe, supportive space to explore your feelings, connect with others, and practice new behaviors that can ultimately lead to more fulfilling relationships. Rather than focusing on past events in individual group members’ lives, these groups typically concentrate on what is occurring in the here-and-now of the group (i.e., feelings, thoughts, and reactions concerning what is happening in the group). The goal is to gain awareness of how you relate group members and understand how these patterns reflect how you relate with others in your life. Learn more about interpersonal process groups from the Colorado State University Health Network.

What is group counseling?
A counseling group is usually comprised of 5-10 people who meet face-to-face with one or two trained facilitators and learn or talk about what is concerning them most. Members listen to each other and sometimes provide each other feedback. The content of group sessions is confidential members agree not to identify other members or their concerns outside of group.

What is the difference between psycho-educational groups, support groups, and process groups?
Although all counseling groups provide members with a few shared benefits—including the perspectives of multiple people on one member’s concerns, feeling less alone, and opportunities to help others—the goals of psycho-educational groups, support groups, and process groups are quite different.

• Psycho-educational groups provide members with information and skills. Members learn more about a topic related to mental health, often increasing understanding of their own mental health concerns. Members are also often taught helpful skills that they apply to their mental health concerns outside of the group context.
• Support groups help members cope with a shared concern or topic. Members find that when they discuss the unique issues related to the shared topic, they feel less isolated and better able to move through daily life as a result. Members may also benefit from strategies other members have used to cope with the specific topic area.
• Process groups help members change interpersonal patterns that contribute to mental health concerns. First, members become aware of the impact that their behavior has on others. Then, with the help of the group, members practice new ways of interacting that better meet their relational needs outside of group.

How effective is group counseling?
Group counseling has been proven effective in helping people deal with a broad range of issues from mild adjustment and developmental concerns to severe or chronic mental health concerns. It has been shown to be as effective as individual counseling, and for some issues, it is even more effective than individual counseling.*

*eg Burlingame, Fuhriman, and Mosier, 2003

What are common reasons for joining a group?
Group counseling is often the most effective treatment for interpersonal concerns, anxiety, social skills, eating disorders, and life adjustment. It is also helpful for depression, self-esteem issues, perfectionism, grief, trauma recovery, and substance use.

What can I expect if I join a group?
If this is your first experience in a counseling group, you probably have some apprehensions—most people do. Walking into the first session is sometimes the hardest part about group. The primary goal of any group is to help establish feelings of safety and trust. Some members will be ready to open up about their concerns early in group, others may need more time. Each group member’s pace and readiness for sharing is respected. Members tend to quickly develop deep and supportive connections with each other and learn to improve their ability to connect with (and care for) themselves and others.

Leaders and members will help each other to face challenges (particularly those that brought them to counseling) and to make the changes they desire. It is usually a difficult thing for group members to say goodbye at the end of a term, due to how much they have valued each other and valued the work they have done together.

What if I’d like to join a group that the center does not currently offer?
Please let us know! We are always interested in new ideas for meeting students’ needs.

Confidential one-on-one counseling sessions are available within a time-limited framework at no cost to currently enrolled students.

What is counseling?
Do you need help getting through a difficult time? Individual counseling is a process of self-discovery and growth where a trained professional helps you with difficulties related to personal, emotional, social, and mental health concerns. In the counseling session, you'll collaborate with your counselor to define the areas you wish to address.

Who is eligible?
Students currently registered and enrolled at St. Catherine University, attending classes on either the St. Paul or Minneapolis campus and able to physically attend sessions in our office can make an appointment for an individual counseling session. Students who are not currently enrolled (alumni or students taking a leave of absence) are welcomed to email us at counselingcenter@stkate.edu for information regarding community referrals.

How many sessions are available to me?
The Counseling Center operates within a time-limited framework in order to meet the needs of many students. On average, students use 5 sessions per academic year. Appointments are typically scheduled weekly or bi-weekly; decisions about frequency and length of counseling are discussed with your counselor.

If you need long-term counseling (more than 8 sessions per academic semester), we can help identify therapists in the community who can provide this. We also offer referral assistance to specialized counseling programs, such as eating disorder or chemical dependency treatment.

What can I expect?
The first appointment with your counselor will be an exploration/assessment session. Your counselor will ask you about the current issues that are bothering you as well as any relevant background information. Your counselor will give you feedback and suggestions about what services might be helpful for you as you face your issues, including recommendations for any continued counseling.

Who will know?
Counseling Center staff maintain professional standards as defined by state law. You will receive our written privacy and confidentiality policy at your first appointment; your counselor will be happy to discuss any questions or concerns you might have.

View the Client Bill of Rights

If you are experiencing a life threatening emergency, please call 911.

St. Kate’s After-Hours Crisis Phone Counseling

651-690-6805, press 1 at the prompt

This crisis counseling phone line is for St. Kate’s students who feel an immediate need to talk to a mental health professional outside of our regular business hours (including weekends and holidays). Phone counselors can also assist you in identifying and connecting to other local crisis/counseling resources.

National Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741741

A national crisis phone and text line that is available 24/7/365. Find other helpful information at the National Crisis Text Line website.

Walk-In Crisis Counseling Hour at St. Kate’s Counseling Center

** Due to COVID-19 concerns necessitating the temporary move to remote services, our weekday Walk-In Crisis Counseling hour is not available at this time.

Derham 330, St. Paul Campus

During fall and spring semesters, one hour each day is set aside for crisis counseling in our St. Paul location for students who have urgent counseling needs. No appointment is needed. Calling ahead to let us know you are coming is helpful. 

To ensure that you have adequate time to meet with a counselor, please plan to arrive in the first half of the scheduled crisis counseling hour. If you arrive later than half past the hour, please be aware that the counselor may not be able to meet with you. The counselor will, however, make every effort to get you scheduled for another time slot.

Ramsey County Urgent Care for Adult Mental Health

Crisis Phone and Information Line: 651-266-7900 (available 24/7)

Ramsey County Urgent Care for Adult Mental Health

This local agency provides service to adults (ages 18 and over) in Ramsey County who are experiencing a mental health or chemical health crisis. Urgent Care for Adult Mental Health offers an alternative to visiting the emergency room during a mental health crisis. Phone support is available 24/7 and mobile crisis teams are available to meet you at your home, school, workplace or in the community, if requested.

Local Emergency Room

University of Minnesota Medical Center Emergency Room - Locations and Phone Numbers 

At times, a student’s counseling needs or interests may be best served by referrals to off-campus resources, such as a therapist with a particular specialization or treatment within a longer-term model than our center can offer. We are happy to meet with students to explore and assess their counseling needs and interests, in order to make recommendations and assistance about referrals to mental health resources in the surrounding community. This might include private practitioners, intensive outpatient programs, or specialty treatment centers.

Please note: Our center does not provide assessment or documentation for attention deficit disorder or emotional support animals. Feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss referral ideas for off-campus resources.

Find an Off-Campus Therapist

Looking for an off-campus therapist? You can find a local therapist (whether you're in St. Paul or out of state) through Psychology Today's database. Simply put in your zip code to find therapists within a certain radius of where you live.

We are not able to make recommendations using this system since we do not have personal knowledge of their skills. For this reason, we encourage you to also look through APA's tips for choosing a therapist to help you determine whether any given therapist might be a good fit for you.