counseling office entrance

About Us

Our Mission

The Counseling and Student Development Center, a unit within the Office of the Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs (OVCS), has as its overall mission the provision of high quality services to promote the academic success and well-rounded development of students and members of the broader University community. Our services are oriented toward the individual needs of students using a whole person developmental perspective. We facilitate the acquisition of skills, awareness and knowledge that students use to meet and integrate the demands of their academic, personal and social pursuits. In carrying out this mission, the Center is responsive to the diversity inherent in our uniquely international and multicultural island community.

As a multi-faceted Center, we embrace an integrated philosophy which links counseling, testing, psychiatric and training services as well as collaboration with other campus and community resources. The Center works towards this end as a team of professionals using a variety of approaches, styles, methods, and programs designed to empower students to accomplish their developmental tasks in positive learning environment. We recognize that our ability to be responsive to the needs of the campus community is based on a continuous commitment to organizational integrity, professional development, and personal growth.

About the Counseling and Student Development Center: Services & Programs

CSDC serves the mental health and career counseling needs of students, faculty, and staff at UHM. The Center is composed of interrelated programs adhering to a whole-person, developmental philosophy and approach to service delivery and program planning. These programs include Clinical Services, Training Programs, Outreach, Learning Assistance, Counselor-in-Residence, and the Testing Office.

Clinical Services is the largest program within CSDC offering psychological services, psychiatry, developmental interventions, outreach, and consultation to a diverse university community. Short-term individual psychotherapy, career counseling, and group counseling are the primary means of direct service delivery. Approximately two-thirds of clients present with personal issues and one-third career. A number of general therapy, theme-oriented, and structured groups are offered each semester as well as developmentally focused workshops and psycho-educational programs. Crisis and drop-in services are available during regular office hours. Assessment is used to guide the process of personal and career counseling and assist in treatment planning.