About Student Counseling Services

A student counseling services staff members speaks to two students.

Our Mission

Support students in achieving their educational and personal goals by promoting holistic well-being through clinical care, outreach, crisis intervention, and collaboration across campus.

Our Vision

Empowering every Iowa State University student to thrive through holistic mental health support, strong campus partnerships, and excellence in professional training.

Our Organization 

Student Counseling Services (SCS) provides confidential mental health services to support students’ academic success, personal growth, and overall well-being. SCS offers a range of clinical services, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, consultation, and referrals, delivered by a diverse team of licensed mental health professionals.

In addition to direct clinical care, SCS actively engages with the campus community through outreach, education, and collaboration with campus partners to promote resilience, mental health awareness, and a supportive environment for all Iowa State students.

Our Accreditation and Commitment to Quality 

Student Counseling Services holds accreditation from the International Accreditation of Counseling Services (IACS), which recognizes counseling centers that meet rigorous national standards for clinical care, staffing, confidentiality, accessibility, and administrative practices. Accreditation by IACS demonstrates SCS’s commitment to providing high-quality, ethical, and student-centered mental health services within a supportive campus environment.

Our Impact and Engagement

From our Spring 2025 Satisfaction Survey, students shared how Student Counseling Services positively impacts their lives:

  • 90% said it helped them be personally successful
  • 96% said it helped them connect to university resources when needed
  • 82% said it helped them be academically successful
  • 84% said it helped them stay in school at ISU

Some highlights from client comments:

  • "[My clinician] is the best possible first therapist I could have had. I’m so grateful for my experience with them."
  • "[My clinician] is the best counselor and has made me a better person in the short time we have worked together." 
  • "I was able to share my concerns comfortably with the counselor. She paid attention to my concerns and helped me with techniques to keep my mood up. I was able to acknowledge my strengths and weaknesses."
  • "Thank you very much for providing this excellent service! We appreciate all that you do for the ISU community." 

These results demonstrate Student Counseling Services’ strong commitment to students’ personal wellbeing, academic success, and persistence at Iowa State University. 

How to Support Our Work

Support the future of student mental health and wellbeing by donating to Student Counseling Services via the ISU Foundation.

Want to discuss donations or sponsorship opportunities within our Student Health and Wellness departments?