Counseling Services

Welcome to Counseling Services

Counseling Services at Lynn University provides mental health and substance abuse assistance for students dealing with emotional, psychological, behavioral and social issues. These services are available to currently enrolled students. Concerns or issues, requiring longer-term therapy or specialization, may be referred to community resources. All services and records are strictly confidential, except where specified by law, such as if you are at risk of harm to yourself or others, or involved in child or elder abuse. If you are under the age of 18, we will discuss the boundaries of confidentiality, as they apply to you, during our first contact.  Lynn University Counseling Services is fully accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services, Inc.

                                         

If you are experiencing an EMERGENCY:

  • Call 911
  • Call Campus Safety at 561-237-7226
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
  • Trevor Project 24 hour Crisis Line for LGBTQ 866-488-7386
  • Crisis Text Line (Counselors are not Lynn University Counselors) Text HOME to 741741 https://www.crisistextline.org/ 

What if I am concerned about a friend?

You can schedule a time to talk to a therapist about your concern or you can submit an anonymous concern online Concerned Person Report form. 

 

CONTACT US
 
Emotional Support Animals are not allowed in this office suite, or any other campus buildings, except to enter or exit the owner's residence.
 
Current hours of operation:   Monday-Thursday 8:00am-7:00pm, Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
Contact Information:              561-237-7237

Email:                                      CounselingServices@lynn.edu

Appointments, click here:      REQUEST FOR APPOINTMENT  

SEE WHERE WE ARE LOCATED                                             

STAFF 

Debra Futterman, LCSW
Executive Director, Student Health & Wellness
dfutterman@lynn.edu
561-237-7140

Sandy Whitmer, LMHC
Assistant Director of Counseling Services
Licensed Psychotherapist
swhitmer@lynn.edu
561-237-7956

Arlene Faranda, ARNP
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
afaranda@lynn.edu

Ida Yung
Administrative Assistant
iyung@lynn.edu
561-237-7237

Kelly Patrick, LMHC
Licensed Psychotherapist
kpatrick@lynn.edu
561-237-7121

Jessica Cima, LMFT
Licensed Psychotherapist
jcima@lynn.edu
561-237-7411

 

 

Resources

Psycho-educational & Off Campus Resources

Online Assessments

Alcohol and/or Other Drugs

Self-Help Apps

  • MindShift (iOS/Android): Struggling with anxiety? Tired of missing out? There are things you can do to stop anxiety and fear from controlling your life.
  • SAM app: An application to help users understand and manage anxiety.
  • Pacifica: Provides holistic tools to address stress, depression, and anxiety using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness, and relaxation.
  • Depression CBT Self-Help Guide: Cognitive-behavioral self-help for depression. The natural management of depression involves understanding depression and the factors that contribute to the symptoms. Learning to manage stress in your life and engage in self-care behaviors can improve your symptoms. This app contains a depression severity test with graph, audios, articles, a cognitive diary, and a motivational points system to help you learn and follow the cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) methods.
  • Headspace: Basics course is completely free and will teach you the fundamental techniques of meditation and mindfulness. Meditation creates the ideal conditions for a good night’s rest. Relax with guided editations and mindfulness techniques that bring calm, wellness and balance to your life in just a few minutes a day.
  • Meditation Studio: A collection of over 160 guided meditations.
  • Happify: Happify is a self-guided app that aims to increase positive emotions. through exercises and games supported by positive psychology and mindfulness research. Whether you are feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, or you’re dealing with constant negative thoughts, Happify brings you effective tools and programs to take control of your emotional well-being.

Emotional Toolkit

Referral Resources

Counseling Services

Request for Appointment

Counseling Services

Individual Therapy
  • Consultation Appointment (to discuss services or obtain information).
  • Initial  assessment (determines mental health needs, providing referrals for on and/or off campus services).
  • Individual Therapy (one-on-one counseling).
  • Psycho-education (one-on-one education session to learn more about a variety of mental health and substance abuse concerns).

In order to have a positive outcome, it is important to attend sessions regularly and try to apply what you have gleaned from sessions, in your life outside of sessions. There are times when you may feel you are making great strides and other times when you feel you are at a standstill; this is normal in the therapy process.

Group Therapy

Group therapy is a way for students to work through concerns with the help of other students and a trained facilitator. in a safe place, to talk about concerns and learn new ways to interact and learn from other students. The counselor develops a safe, trusting and confidential space for all students to feel comfortable sharing.

Some groups are therapeutic (confidential and typically based on a common topic like anxiety, depression, or identity concerns). Therapeutic support groups are people with common experiences providing each other with encouragement and advice. Non-therapeutic groups address a variety of psycho-educational topics in an open setting, such as learning skills on how to getting along with others, making decisions and solving problems.
 
Psychiatric Services
  • Evaluations and or medication management.
  • Available for students currently working with a therapist from the Lynn University Counseling Services
  • The Counseling Services team will determine if on-campus Psychiatric Services are appropriate for you and will provide off-campus referrals when indicated.

Counseling Services Scope of Care

Areas Within Our Scope of Care
  • Depression and anxiety, 
  • Interpersonal/relationship difficulties
  • Issues pertaining to sexuality 
  • Eating behaviors and body image
  • Alcohol and substance use, relapse prevention
  • Personal growth and development
  • Adjustment to college life
  • Family conflict
  • Identity development/diversity
  • Management of emotions
  • Trauma/assault
Areas Outside Our Scope of Care
  • Chronic suicidality and/or self-injury behaviors; history of repeated suicide attempts;
  • Indication that short-term therapy may be detrimental or non-beneficial;
  • Evidence or risk of progressive deterioration in mental or emotional functioning, requiring intensive intervention;
  • Presence of psychotic symptoms without willingness to remain on medication for stabilization;
  • Presence of significant drug and/or alcohol problems such as current substance dependence, primary substance abuse, and/or past failed treatments;
  • Presence of significant or long-standing eating disorder with no period of remission, no previous treatment, or that may pose a medical danger;
  • Treatment for physically or sexually aggressive or inappropriate behavior.
Students whose needs fall outside the scope of services and/or have scheduling needs that fall outside of staff availability are generally referred to community resources.