When your student flies from your nest to ours
Going away to college is many Skyhawks’ first transition away from their friends and family. The Counseling Center supports your student as FLC's primary mental health resource with individual and group counseling and other services.
Check out other on-campus resources that support your student, like Student Wellness and Student Engagement.
You can call our office with concerns, but we cannot confirm or deny a student’s use of the Counseling Center. It is also rare we reach out to students first. However, we will work with you to figure out how to support your student.
Our Family Program works to keep you engaged with a newsletter and Facebook group as well as events when possible.
National association for college families, providing advocacy, discounts, and informational resources.
This foundation helps families reduce emotional distress and suicide among higher ed students.
If you haven’t already, try talking with your student about the following topics.
Problems are inevitable. Roommates can be difficult, professors can be challenging, and homesickness or loneliness can overwhelm. You can help them most by encouraging them to consider their options of how they can work through challenges.
Remind your student about resources for support on campus, including faculty, advisors, coaches, residence hall assistants (RAs), and peer counseling.
You can include their favorite cookies or food, family pictures, newspaper articles, magazines, rolls of quarters for laundry, and toiletries.
College life brings its share of problems and challenges. It helps your student to know they have someone who thinks they are the best.
Celebrate their accomplishments and remind them how proud you are.
Be sure your student knows their mobile device plan's details (limits and costs). Let your student know when you are unavailable by phone, email, or text message.
Please encourage them to spend in-person time with their new FLC friends and use the phone for their back-home friends.
While sharing family life events keeps your student connected to their family and reminds them that they belong, bringing your student into family problems tends to drain their ability to focus on their life as a student.
Consider the impact of what you’re telling them and look for a balance between hiding things from them and burdening them.
Sometime next year, you might get a call with your student crying about how much this place sucks. They want you to come get them immediately and take them home.
Remember: big feelings come, and then they pass. When your student is away, you might only hear their big feelings. You likely do not need to get in the car and get them.
Use the judgment you've developed over the years to listen, offer reassurance, and let them know you care.
Location: 260 Noble HallPhone: 970-247-7212Local Crisis Hotline: 970-247-5245Email: counselingcenter@fortlewis.edu
Fall/Winter Terms:8 a.m. - noon, 1-5 p.m., Monday-Friday
Summer:8 a.m. - noon, 1-5 p.m., Tuesday & Thursday