Mental Health Counseling and Support

As a currently registered UB undergraduate or graduate student, you have access to our services through your mandatory comprehensive health fee. Students can contact Counseling Services if they need counseling, or if they know a student who may be in crisis. All racial, ethnic, religious, gender, sexual orientations, and age differences are fully respected.

Participation in counseling is private and confidential as permitted by law. In fact, counselors are under ethical and legal obligations not to release confidential information.

Unless the student provides written permission:

• Counselors will not provide anyone with information about a student, and will not let others know that a student is in counseling
• Information about counseling will not go into a student’s academic record, and will not be given to parents, family or the government (including home governments for international students)

The only exceptions to sharing information about a student in counseling are those rare times when it is clear that a person’s life is in danger, when a child appears to be in danger of being harmed, or when the information is required by a court of law (i.e., subpoenaed) within the United States. We encourage students to discuss any concerns they have about confidentiality with their counselor.

All racial, ethnic, religious, gender, sexual orientations, and age differences are fully respected in counseling.

At UB, our counselors have experience helping students deal with a wide range of personal and academic difficulties. The Counseling Services staff includes psychologists, mental health counselors, social workers, psychiatric nurse practitioners and graduate student interns.

When you’re in a crisis or dealing with stress, you may find it helpful to talk with a trained counselor. Students come to Counseling Services to get help with a variety of concerns, including:

• Personal issues: stress, anxiety, depression, anger, loneliness, low self-esteem, low self-confidence, self-defeating behaviors, grief, suicidal feelings, different emotional states
• Relationship issues: romantic relationship difficulties (finding, enhancing or ending a relationship), sexual concerns, roommate problems, family problems, getting along with others
• Developmental issues: sense of identity, sexual orientation, adjustment to college, life transitions, cultural identity and adjustment
• Academic concerns: performance anxiety, perfectionism, underachievement, procrastination, choice of major or career, life purpose and direction
• International students: adjusting to U.S. culture, language difficulties, separation from family and friends, dating people from different cultures, coping with worries about visa and immigration issues
• Other issues: effects of trauma, rape or sexual assault, substance abuse, body image (including eating disorders), healthy lifestyle choices, past or current sexual or physical abuse, drug or alcohol abuse, life-threatening illnesses

If you are experiencing a mental health emergency or are concerned about someone, please call our office at 716-645-2720. If you are worried about yourself, a family member, roommate or friend, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible. A counselor is available to talk with students in crisis when not being seen immediately could lead to serious consequences. We provide emergency consultations for: