Counseling Services

We provide multiculturally-affirming mental health services to veterinary students, graduate students and house officers at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Our services come at no additional charge and can be used to explore personal, academic and professional concerns that may impact your well-being. We take a collaborative approach to explore and address your concerns in a supportive, non-judgmental and confidential environment.

To request an appointment, please fill out this form. Feel free to email us with any questions at cvm-counselingservices@ncsu.edu.

The presence of embedded counseling services at the College of Veterinary Medicine is part of the commitment to prioritize wellness within the community. Pursuing counseling, especially for the first time, is a courageous choice and a sign of investment in your personal, academic and professional wellbeing. We strive to make the counseling experience as comfortable and helpful as possible for everyone.

IN CASE OF A MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY

• Contact the NCSU Counseling Center at 919-515-2423. An on-call counselor is available 24/7/365.
• Contact NCSU Campus Police at 919-515-3000. You can request an officer who is Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trained.
• Call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
• Go to the nearest emergency room.

Meet Our Counseling Team

Laura Castro, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, is our Director of Counseling Services and has been at the College of Veterinary Medicine since summer 2019. Laura, a native of Bogota, Colombia, immigrated to the United States when she was 12. She holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Elon University and a master’s in social work from UNC-Chapel Hill. Prior to joining the college, she worked as a post-master’s fellow at the NC State University Counseling Center. She provides sessions in English and Spanish.

Laura is passionate about helping members of the community reach their full potential by providing a supportive and non-judgmental environment where folks can explore their concerns and strengths and practice coping skills. Laura uses Motivational Interviewing to help clients achieve change, and she utilizes a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy framework to increase self-awareness and identify helpful and unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Laura enjoys helping people with relationship concerns, identity development, and diversity- and inclusion-related issues.

Laura spends her free time attending yoga, Zumba, and weightlifting classes. She enjoys caring for her 30+ plants, her chocolate labrador, JuJu, and exploring restaurants in the triangle with her partner, Sean.

Matt Bishop is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. A lifelong member of the Wolfpack, Matt obtained his B.S. and M.Ed. degrees from NC State and completed an internship and post-graduate fellowship at the NCSU Counseling Center. He has 6 years of experience working with college students on a variety of issues, including anxiety, depression, OCD, eating concerns, addictive behaviors and identity development. In his work, Matt prioritizes a collaborative approach that is based on each person’s values and strengths to help them meet their personal and professional goals. He uses a social justice lens to apply Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) frameworks of counseling.

In his free time, Matt volunteers at the SPCA of Wake County and the J.C. Raulston Arboretum. He also enjoys learning to cook new things, reading Wikipedia in preparation for local trivia nights, and gaming on the PC, Switch or tabletop with his husband, John.

Services

Individual Counseling

People within our community can experience a wide variety of personal and professional concerns related to depression, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma, abuse, anger, stress and other challenges. Counseling Services is a safe place to explore these issues and develop better ways to cope with any problems you may be facing. Our services are typically short-term in nature; however, we can help identify appropriate referrals if long-term or more intensive mental health services are needed.

Consultation

It can be difficult to know how best to support someone when they are dealing with mental health concerns. Please contact us at any time if you are concerned about a member of the community. We can work with you to determine the most appropriate and helpful response to the situation.

Workshops

Counseling Services provides educational programming on various wellness and mental health topics to students, faculty and staff. Some examples include:

• Stress Management and Resilience
• Learning to Learn in Vet Med
• Practicing Mindfulness
• Suicide Awareness and Prevention

If you would like us to lead a workshop for you and your team, please submit a request to cvm-counselingservices@ncsu.edu at least two weeks before the date of the requested program.

Support Groups

BIPOC Support Space

A meeting for CVM students, house officers, faculty and staff of color to process, support each other and engage in restorative conversations. This space will centralize and celebrate Blackness and welcomes all people of color. Facilitated by supportive staff of color.

Testimonials: ” I love this group so much! We all are so very supportive of one another. Other persons who are BIPOC, I strongly suggest to attend.” – DVM Student

“In a world where everyone is busy going about their days and struggles, the BIPOC space reminds me that I am not alone in my feelings and emotions as I navigate through the CVM. I have made lifelong friends in this group and I was able to connect with people from various departments. It truly is a safe space and I look forward to that one hour where I can unapologetically be myself. I encourage every BIPOC person to attend this session!” – CVM Faculty Member

We meet on Thursdays at noon (8am on the first Thursday of each month) in D-232.

LGBTQ+ Support Space

This is a drop-in space, so no need to commit or sign up ahead of time. We welcome all CVM students, house officers, faculty and staff who identify within the LGBTQ+ community. Each week, we come together to process, support one another and engage in restorative conversation. This is a safe space facilitated by staff who also identify within the community.

We meet on Mondays at noon in B-222.

Referrals

If you would like to explore alternative counseling options, we recommend the resources below. Please reach out to us if you would like any guidance or support during this process.

• NCSU Counseling Center – alternative on-campus counseling option for currently-enrolled NC State students.
• MiResource – NCSU-curated database of local, off-campus mental health providers
• Psychology Today – national database of off-campus mental health providers