Counseling Services

The mission of the Park University Counseling Center is to support the emotional, academic, and identity development of a diverse student population preparing to be lifelong learners in a global community.

Services

• Counseling for individuals
• Distance counseling
• Specialized educational groups
• Consultation is offered to Park students, faculty and staff

Counseling Center Staff

Director of Counseling Services:
Kasey Ashcraft, MA, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
M.A. MidAmerica Nazarene University, 2017
B.A. MidAmerica Nazarene University 2011
816-584-6798
Kasey.ashcraft@park.edu

Counseling Center Interns:
816-584-6848
counselingappointments@park.edu

• Manage transition and change
• Uncertainty about life goals and values
• Establish the stability necessary to complete your education
• Resolve problems in personal relationships
• Address feelings of depression, grief, loss, or anxiety
• Develop effective communication skills
• Family concerns
• Learn to manage stress
• Sexual concerns; sexual orientation
• Explore reasons for a lack of motivation, concentration difficulties
• Abuse of alcohol and other drugs

COVID & TELEHEALTH

In response to COVID-19, we are offering secure telehealth sessions. Due to state licensing laws, direct counseling services are provided to Park University students who are physically located in Missouri or Kansas at the time of their appointment. All Park students will be provided with appropriate referral information if outside our service area.

Schedule an Appointment

To schedule an initial appointment, email counselingappointments@park.edu and include:

• name
• student number
• phone number
• brief description of the reason for making the appointment

In person, stop by the Counseling Center, located in Mackay Hall, Room 27.

Office Hours

Fall/Spring
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. CST
Monday through Friday

Expect at the initial interview:

• an opportunity to discuss concerns
• an opportunity to discuss background information
• recommendations regarding further services
• a mutually agreed upon decision as to how the Counseling Center can best help you
• referrals made to additional services (if needed)

Cancellations & No-Shows

Personal commitment to counseling is crucial for success. We encourage you to keep all appointments scheduled. If you must miss a session due to illness or an emergency, please call to cancel the appointment as far in advance as possible. Failure to follow up and reschedule with the Counseling Center may result in losing your appointment time the following week.

All counseling information, including the fact that a student has been seen, is strictly confidential. Information on students receiving counseling is not made available to anyone (including faculty, administrators, staff or parents) without the written consent of the student. No record of counseling attendance is contained in any student academic or educational file.

EXCEPTIONS TO CONFIDENTIALITY

For the majority of students, no exceptions to confidentiality are made. However, there are some exceptions to confidentiality which you should know before you begin counseling:

• If you are required to attend counseling for infractions of Residence Hall or Campus rules, your attendance or non-attendance in the counseling process will be reported to the referring person. The content and progress of the counseling sessions are NOT reported.
• You may request, in writing, that the Counseling Center release information about your counseling to persons you designate.
• If there is evidence that a student poses clear and imminent danger of harm to themselves or to others, a mental health professional is legally required to report this information to the proper authorities for the protection of the student and the community.
• A court-ordered subpoena can require the Counseling Center to release information contained in records or require a counselor to testify in a hearing.

Students who need assistance with additional resources such as utility, rent, income-based housing, health care, administrative assistance, or help accessing community resources such as food pantry, WIC, Childcare Subsidy or SNAP programs can work with our center or contact Amanda Bryant, Coordinator for Student Advocacy.

• Kasey Ashcraft: (816) 584-6798; Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Clinical Interns: (816) 584-6848; Hours vary

There is no charge for any Counseling Center services for enrolled Park students.

Park University recognizes that the college years contain exceptional opportunities for growth and development as well as intellectual discovery. At the same time the academic, social and psychological challenges encountered can be stressful and demanding. Students face decisions to be made, relationships to be developed, academic work to be mastered, and personal growth and change to be accomplished. Counseling is a service provided by Park University which can be a valuable resource in managing these stresses.

Even though our friends may be helpful when discussing problems in living, they may not have the knowledge or objectivity needed for effective problem-solving. Seeking information from one who is professionally trained is often a good solution in addition to the support received from friends.

• Gathering information to make decisions about life goals
• Establish the stability necessary to complete your education
• Resolve problems in a personal relationship
• Manage feelings of loneliness
• Address feelings of depression or loss
• Seek understanding about your relationship with family
• Learn to manage stress
• Explore gender and cultural influences which affect you and may create stress
• Develop more effective communication skills to create greater comfort in your interpersonal relationships
• Receive assistance in locating the resources to manage problems such as alcohol and other drug dependency in a friend or yourself, codependency, eating disorders, etc.
• Facing major life transitions such as: leaving home, marriage, birth, death, divorce, etc.

Counseling is a form of interaction that helps you define problems, sort out feelings and determine your own direction. It is a different process for each individual, depending on the particular concerns being addressed. You will probably meet with a counselor several times to discuss your concerns in detail.

Often the counselor will ask for more information about the concern and your background. The counselor will want to understand how this problem began and how it is affecting you. Sometimes, you may find that “just talking about it” is helpful. Or sometimes, you and the counselor may jointly decide upon a plan for dealing in greater detail with your concerns.

The counseling process doesn’t necessarily have to deal with “heavy” problems. It usually assists normal people who are facing difficult situations, decisions, or issues. While only you can solve your problems, a counselor can assist you with information and support.

All counseling information, including the fact that you have been seen, is strictly confidential.

Information on students receiving counseling is not made available to anyone (including faculty, administrators or parents) without the student’s written consent. Per FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), counseling records are not part of a student’s educational record.

Counseling for Park Students

• Personal counseling
• Consultation is offered to all Park University students, faculty, and staff (For example, you might want to drop by to discuss concerns about a co-worker, friend, etc.)
• For students not on the Parkville campus, please contact our center for mental health referrals in your area.

There is no charge for counseling services for Park University students.

For additional information, contact any of the counselors at the Counseling Center or email counselingappointments@park.edu .