McKenzie Parish
mlparish@lc.edu
One of the many services students at Lewis & Clark Community College have access to is free counseling through Counseling Services. This can come in the form of an in-person appointment, phone call, or zoom call, as well as walk-ins in the event of an emergent situation. To expand the counseling offerings, the college has recently partnered with BetterMynd, an online therapy platform, to offer students online counseling free of charge.
BetterMynd’s online counseling services are available in addition to Counseling Services’ in-person and telehealth appointments. Counseling Services is open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Thursday, and offers telehealth appointments from 8:00 am to noon on Friday. BetterMynd, on the other hand, offers appointment options during the day, evening, and weekend. BetterMynd’s 50-minute live video-sessions can be conducted from the convenience of a student’s home or anywhere with access to a laptop or smartphone. BetterMynd also provides free self-help resources and group workshops to students.
All appointments through Counseling Services and BetterMynd are completely free, confidential, and private.
If a student feels that BetterMynd may be a good fit for them, they can sign up at bettermynd.com. Alternatively, they can choose to work with the on-campus counselor by contacting Terri Austin, L.C.P.C., at (618) 468-4125 or taaustin@lc.edu.
For 24/7 support in a crisis, students can call or text 988. However, BetterMynd is not an emergency-use platform. BetterMynd does have a Mental Health Crisis Hotline, which is available 24/7/365 at 844-BTR-MYND (844-287-6963). If a student is experiencing a mental health crisis, they can call the hotline at any time of the day, night, or weekend, year-round, to receive immediate support.
Furthermore, in the event of a mental health emergency or crisis, students may call the Centerstone 24-hour local crisis hotline at (618) 465-4388, the 24-hour National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or go to the nearest emergency room.
