College Counseling
Services
Morningstar Counseling & Consultation is co-located at Tribal colleges across Nebraska. Services offered include student and faculty outreach, talking circles for students and staff, classroom presentations, and student support.
Individual
Counseling
This pairs any student, faculty or staff member with a counselor that can help them through their unique situation and stage of life.
Whether you are a new student transitioning into college life or experiencing test anxiety as you prepare to graduate, we are here to help you excel during this exciting time of life.
Faculty and staff face many different challenges while maintaining an environment to educate our future generations. Morningstar Counseling is here to help you so you can focus on helping your students.
Group
Counseling
Talking circles, support groups and interpersonal process groups.
Talking circles allow students, faculty and staff to help one another through tough times during their academic or career journey. Talking circles can be used for discussion, problem solving, and/or decision making. The purpose of a talking circle is to create a safe, non-judgmental environment where each participant has the opportunity to contribute to the discussion of difficult and important issues.
Support Groups offer a space for participants with common experiences and concerns to provide emotional and moral support to one another. These groups tend to be centered around a specific topic (i.e., a grief support group, group for first-gen students, lgbtqa+ support group) where participants can offer encouragement and comfort to one another.
Interpersonal Process Groups tend to focus on relationships, intimacy, boundaries, self-awareness and other components of interpersonal process. These groups are designed to help members learn to deal with a variety of concerns including feelings of depression and anxiety, relationship issues, and other personal and academic concerns. Sessions are lead by an experienced counselor that can offer guidance and foster healing conversation for all to take part in.
Workshops
Outreach and education.
Outreach and education are major components of a mentally healthy and happy student body. Morningstar Counseling offers on site workshops where students can learn how to cope with various issues they may be struggling with. For many students this is an easy way to introduce themselves to counseling and therapy if they feel intimidated by the thought of talking to someone one on one.
Topics Include
Suicide is a major public health issue in many countries, and the effects can be particularly damaging for the college population. One of the most important things faculty, staff and college students can do to save lives is to take preventative steps to ensure vulnerable individuals are aware of their support options. Most campuses offer helpful resources such as counseling services or student hotlines that provide direct access to mental health professionals and advocates who can assist in suicidal situations.
With the pressures of college life and academic expectations, it is not uncommon for college-aged individuals to experience periods of depression and anxiety. These feelings manifest in many ways - a lack of motivation or desire to pursue activities one once found joy in, a decrease in social interaction or academic performance, or changes in dietary or sleep habits. To counter these effects, students should find healthy coping mechanisms like talking with friends and family about their feelings, engaging in self-care activities such as spending time outdoors or exercising, and seeking professional help from mental health practitioners if these feelings persist. With the right support system, individuals can learn to manage their mental health conditions successfully and reach personal goals within the college environment.
Test anxiety is a well-documented problem among college students. It can manifest itself through physical symptoms, such as sweating and heart palpitations, as well as mental blocks or an inability to recall information. Left unchecked, test anxiety can have a dramatic impact on academic performance, sapping motivation and demotivating students from making meaningful progress in their studies. Fortunately, there are effective methods for combating the effects of test anxiety. Counseling, educational strategies and relaxation techniques are all useful tools for helping students alleviate the pressure associated with tests, thereby allowing them to develop better coping mechanisms for future exams. Ultimately, recognizing and addressing test anxiety should be part of any comprehensive student development plan.
During the holiday season, the college population is often particularly susceptible to the “holiday blues” – that unique combination of loneliness and depression associated with returning home for winter break. Though it is naturally a time for joy and cheer, increasingly this period can bring about an uncomfortable sense of isolation among students who hail from distant places or find themselves separated from their families due to financial difficulties. As a result, this season can prove particularly challenging and must be addressed effectively to ensure that students stay healthy and engaged both mentally and emotionally during their break.
Finals can be an incredibly stressful time in any student's life, especially in the college population. With the strain of exams and projects, it can be tempting to push self care aside and focus solely on academics. However, taking good care of one's mind, body and spirit is essential to getting through the demands of finals season. Making sure to get enough sleep, exercise regularly, eat healthy and nutritious meals, practice mindfulness by taking breaks throughout the day and focusing on breathing exercises are all great ways to ensure students are able to remain focused and energized throughout this period of increased academic pressure. Self care during finals will help college students stay motivated, prepared for their tests and best equipped for a successful academic conclusion.
College students are under a tremendous amount of pressure to succeed, both academically and professionally. With so much on their plates, it's not uncommon for college students to experience difficulty taking care of themselves and effectively managing their stress levels. To help with this, universities should implement well-being programs to offer college students practical coping skills to deal with the rigors of college life. These programs should provide tools and tips on how to manage stress and anxiety while in college as well as how to establish healthier habits such as proper sleep schedules and nutrition plans. Additionally, these programs should teach college students how to recognize warning signs that they might be struggling emotionally so they can reach out for professional assistance if necessary. Overall, these programs could have a large impact on the mental health and overall wellbeing of the college population.
This program is designed for college students who want to explore their alcohol and/or cannabis use. The goal of the program is to reduce risky behaviors and harmful consequences associated with their use.