Personal and Success Counseling

Rock Valley College Personal and Success Counseling’s mission is to prepare students for learning and personal success throughout life.  We educate and facilitate the growth of the whole person for living, learning, and coping in an unpredictable and diverse world. We work in conjunction with our colleagues across campus toward the promotion of a healthy campus environment for all those who learn and work at RVC by providing professional outreach and educational services and by fostering collaborative relationships across the campus.

The PSC Department seeks to create and sustain a campus environment that supports the holistic development of each student and contributes to their optimal academic success by:

• Facilitating and supporting identity development
• Community responsibility
• Health and wellness
• Multicultural awareness
• Social justice
• Mental health development

• Academic and personal goal setting
• Individualized time management and study techniques
• GPA Recovery Strategies
• Utilizing Learning Styles
• Academic Success Planning
• Financial Aid Appeals
• College Survival Tips Bookmark
   

For more information on these free services for RVC students, call (815) 921-4281.

RVC Personal and Success Counseling Department has also partnered with Kp Counseling, Lantern Therapy Services, and Restore Counseling & Recovery of Rockford, who will provide reasonable payment options for students needing long term counseling needs, with or without insurance.

If you are experiencing mental or emotional distress beyond your ability to manage safely right now: Personal and Success Counseling is available for students who are in crisis and need immediate assistance to speak to a counselor to receive crisis consultation, information on emergency resources, and/or even be directed to the Emergency Department, if appropriate.

• Half of Us at 800-273-8255
• Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 text based mental health support and crisis intervention. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor.
• Jed Foundation works to reduce suicide among college students in the U.S. and offers a toll-free National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-TALK.
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is staffed by trained volunteers, day and night, for online chat, or call 1-800-273-TALK
• Trevor Project Lifeline is staffed by trained volunteers, day and night, for online chat, or call 866-488-7386.
• Trans Lifeline is staffed by trained transgender volunteers at 877-565-8860.
• Or call 911

Mental Health Screening Tool

Behavioral health – which includes mental health, substance use, and more – is a key part of your overall well-being. Brief screenings are the quickest way to determine if you or someone you care about should connect with a behavioral health professional. Think of these as a checkup from your neck up. This program is completely anonymous and confidential, and immediately following the brief questionnaire you will see your results, recommendations, and key resources.

Fill out the questionnaire here.

Check out these Wellness Apps to find the one that best fits your needs!

Below are a few of an ever-expanding array of wellness-related apps. We curated a short list of mood, stress, and well-being apps that we think have a combination of positive usability ratings and some basis in sound theoretical and/or evidenced-based support. While we do not endorse these as a replacement for therapy when needed, we offer them as possible additional resources and tools.

Mood Management

Thought Challenger

This app is described by its developers at Northwestern University as “Thought Challenger helps you gain control of how you feel and what you do by teaching you to notice and challenge negative and unhelpful thoughts. Thought Challenger is built on cognitive behavioral therapy - a structure that has been found in clinical studies to be useful in examining negative thoughts and reframing them to help you feel better and do the things you want to do. Free on Google Play and iTunes Stores.

Boost Me

This app is described by its developers at Northwestern University as “When feeling down or stressed, people tend to lose motivation for doing rewarding things. Boost Me is here to help reverse that trend! Notice a drop in your mood? Boost Me can provide positive activities that have worked for you in the past or give you suggestions, based on how you’re feeling. Notice an improvement in your mood? Log what you did in Boost Me to have a reminder in the future of something that made you feel good. Every boost is a step towards feeling better, so let’s get started!” Free on Google Play Store.

Daily Feats

This app is described by its developers at Northwestern University as “Stuck in a rut? Daily Feats encourages you to incorporate worthwhile and productive activities into your day. Add accomplishments big and small to the Feats calendar, where you can track your positive activity streaks and level up by completing more tasks! Daily Feats motivates you to spend your days in more meaningful, rewarding ways to increase your overall satisfaction in life. Free on Google Play and iTunes App Stores.

Relaxation

Purple Chill

This app is described by its developers at Northwestern University as “Relax with Purple Chill, the app that helps you unwind. Listen to audio recordings that guide you through exercises to de-stress and worry less!” Free on Google Play Store

Resilience and Well-Being

SuperBetter

This app is described by its developers at SuperBetter, LLC, as “SuperBetter increases resilience - the ability to stay strong, motivated and optimistic even in the face of difficult obstacles. Playing SuperBetter makes you more capable of getting through any tough situation—and more likely to achieve the goals that matter most to you. Free on Google Play and iTunes App Stores.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Smiling Mind

This app is a mindfulness meditation app to experience for both adults and kids. Created as a non-profit initiative to improve lives through increasing clarity, calm and contentment and reducing stress via mindfulness instruction and encouragement. Free on Google Play or iTunes App stores.

Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by 10% Happier

This is a personalized two-week course that includes daily video lessons from a renowned meditation teacher (Joseph Goldstein), guided audio meditations, and a personal coach to guide you through the course. Available on Google Play or iTunes App stores.

Calm App

This app combines rich features and a large library of guided meditations with a simple, clean interface. Guided meditations range in length from 3 to 25 minutes, so you can always find a meditation to fit your schedule. Like other subscription-based apps, Calm provides a basic course in meditation for free, with more advanced meditations requiring a subscription starting at $9.99 per month. Available on Google Play and iTunes App stores.

Headspace

Headspace teaches less spiritual, more science-based meditation techniques, beginning with a free introductory course. You purchase a subscription to gain access to additional courses, as well as guided meditations. Headspace includes mood-tracking features as well, and you can download guided meditations for offline use. A Headspace subscription is $12.99 per month, or $94.99 for a year. A lifetime membership costs $399.99. Available on Google Play or iTunes stores.

Student wellness resources, including: anxiety, abuse, critical thinking, depression, exercise, eating disorders, learning style, mindfulness, nutrition, online support groups, relationships, sleep, study tools, substance abuse, time management, and veteran affairs.

Winnebago and Boone County Resource Directory

• Housing and Shelter
• Food
• Crisis
• Immigration/Refugee Assistance
• Financial Assistance
• Transportation
• Mental Health

Alcohol and Other Drugs

• Alcohol Overdose
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Narcotics Anonymous
• Rosecrance

Anger Management

American Psychological Association. Click on "Search" and then type the word 'anger'.

Anxiety

• The Anxiety and Depression Association of America
• PsychCentral-Anxiety
• PsychCentral Online Anxiety Screening Test

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
• PsychCentral Online ADHD Screening Test

Body Image

• National Women's Health Information Center- Body Image and Mental Health
• Body Image Disorders: Causes, Symptoms, Signs

Depression and Bipolar Disorder

• Myths and Facts- Depression and Bipolar Disorder
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Eating Disorders

• National Eating Disorders Association
• National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders

Gambling

• College Gambling

Gender Based Violence

• Break the Cycle
• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
• National Domestic Violence Hotline

Grief and Loss

• Grieving: Facing Illness, Death, and Other Losses

LGBTQUIA Information and Services

• LGBT National Help Center
• Coming Out
• Gay and Lesbian Medical Association
• Gender Pronouns

Mental Health (General)

• National Institute of Mental Health
• SAMHSA National Mental Health Information Center
• American Psychological Association
• Mental Help Net
• Ulifeline

Nutrition

• USDA Choose My Plate
• American Dietetic Association

Sexual Assault/Acquaintance Rape

• Rape Victim Advocates 
• Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
• Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Sleep

• National Sleep Foundation
• Sleep 101

Smoking/Tobacco

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- Smoking and Tobacco Use
• Smokefree.gov

Spiritual Wellness

• Spirituality & Health

Stress Management

• Stress Management Help Guide

Suicide Prevention

• Suicide Prevention Resource Center
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

101 Resources for Student Mental Health

• Health, Wellness, and Resilience