The mission of the Saint Louis University Counseling Center is to promote the psychological health and development of the SLU community using a holistic approach to wellness through a lens of social justice.
Through the establishment of culturally fluent, evidence-based approaches to mental health treatment, our center aims to create a safe and empathic environment that honors the individual and collective identities and experiences of all students. It is our goal to provide affirming and compassionate care, a visible presence throughout the campus, and a recognized partner in the larger well-being ecosystem — in an effort to contribute to student success.
Our Core Values
In addition to the Jesuit value of cura personalis — care for the whole person, the University Counseling Center, more commonly known as the UCC, aligns itself with a set of core values and principles that guide our work ethic and reflect our commitment to students and campus partners.
Knowing that many SLU students seek counseling services during the most vulnerable times in their lives, having integrity is a number one priority of the UCC. Leading with honesty, ensuring that we are accountable, maintaining confidentiality, demonstrating respect, serving with humility and creating spaces where students feel safe are of utmost importance.
Given that SLU is an institution that serves students from all over the world, and that all students deserve a place where they feel welcome, seen and heard, the UCC operates from a communal perspective. Our desire to exist as a positive influence and contributing member of the well-being ecosystem necessitates that we affirm all student identities, honor differences and embrace uniqueness while promoting acceptance and belonging.
Whether a student needs individual counseling or crisis support or if a faculty member is seeking mental health resources, the UCC wants our campus community to know that we strive to be as responsive as possible. In doing so, we aim to develop and maintain a high level of trust and reliability. We work hard to ensure that we are available to meet demands and understand the value of utilizing supportive partners when necessary.
As the institutional landscape changes and evolves, student counseling needs can also shift, requiring that the UCC positions itself to center growth as one of its core values. Along with the provision of ongoing professional development training in best practices, the UCC integrates creativity and innovation into our approach to service delivery, the creation of well-being initiatives and in our programming.
Diversity and Anti-Racist Statement
The University Counseling Center is committed to embracing the unique identities and characteristics of all ethnicities, faiths, orientations, abilities and life experiences. Students can expect that our professionals will work with them in a safe and nonjudgmental fashion by creating an environment of support and acceptance.
The UCC recognizes the destructive impact that stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination have on one’s ability to function optimally and, therefore, strive to confront, dismantle and eradicate the inequities caused by racism, xenophobia, transphobia and other harmful oppressive conditions and systems.
The UCC also understands that Black, Indigenous and People of Color are often subjected to maltreatment, marginalization and silencing, especially within mental health systems of care — to which our staff responds by making a commitment to ongoing training and education, amplifying the voices of the BIPOC community and unconditionally rejecting all forms of racism.
Accreditation
The University Counseling Center holds accreditation through the International Accreditation of Counseling Services (IACS). This accreditation is awarded to college and university counseling centers that meet criteria for demonstrating a high level of professionalism and quality.