Palmer College of Chiropractic

Current Students

Department of Counseling Services

Palmer Counseling Services strives to promote and exemplify the Palmer Educational Principles through the services we provide and our daily interactions with all members of the Palmer campus community. Counseling Services is dedicated to promoting the welfare and success of all Palmer students. Appointments with counselors may be made by contacting the Counseling Services Program Assistant Jaclyn Dooley at the main number (563) 884-5655 or stopping by West Hall Suite 128, Room A. The main Counseling office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday though Friday. Students are encouraged to access the following resources available through Counseling Services:

• Academic Services
• Center of Student Learning & Development
• Office of Student Learning & Development
• Wellness Services and Student Resource Assistant Program
• Frequently Asked Questions  (FAQ)

February:   "Let LifeWorks help you with Life's challenges!"

" Just moved to a new area and having a hard time meeting new people?"
"Are you a single parent with a full-time job and too much to do?"
"Hoping to buy a new home but not sure if your credit is good enough?

Look at our current featured selection in Self Help Wellness topics.

This is who we are and what we do:

Lori Newman, Ph.D., Director and Coordinator of Student Learning and Development

Jan Bozman, Office of Student Learning & Development Test Center Coordinator

Lisa Mestad, D.C., Academic Counselor, Palmer Academic Support Services Coordinator, Center for Student Learning and Development Coordinator

Jaclyn Dooley, Program Assistant

Questions designed to help you learn more about Palmer Counseling Services and the services we provide.

Q: What are the benefits of Counseling Services.
A: Counseling is very similar to chiropractic in that we emphasize wellness care. Often students access counseling services only when their circumstances are acute. Being informed on how to maintain your psychological, emotional, and social wellness can provide you techniques and strategies to avoid acute situations or crises. These are some of the areas in which  Counseling Services can assist you:

• Learning stress management, relaxation, making time for your wellness
• Building self-esteem and self-confidence
• Resolving a conflict with an instructor, another student, friend, or relative
• Overcoming test or social anxiety
• Learning new communication skills
• Maximizing your educational experience across multiple dimensions
• Coping with grief, loss, and depression
• Enhancing your awareness and sensitivity to others
• Understanding changes you are experiencing
• Adjusting to new surroundings/circumstances, or a new culture
• Managing the course load while maintaining a successful and satisfying educational experience
• Clarifying college policies and procedure, such as course schedule options, requirements for financial aid eligibility, satisfactory academic progress, academic warning, probation or suspension

Q: Is there a charge for Palmer Counseling Services?
A: No,  the counseling services offered by Palmer College are services included in your tuition. When you access our services, you are using resources you have already paid for.

Q: Do I need an appointment to see a counselor?
A: Appointments are strongly recommended and preferred. Counselors are not usually available for walk-in appointments. You may request to schedule a time to meet with a counselor by contacting the Counseling Services Program Assistant at the main number (563) 884-5655 or stopping by West Hall Suite 128, Room A. The main Counseling office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday though Friday. Counselors have appointment schedules posted outside their office each week for you to self-schedule at your convenience.

Q: Does Palmer offer tutorials?
A: Yes, tutorials are offered in basic science courses that historically have the highest repeat rates. PASS is the acronym for Palmer Academic Support Services (P.A.S.S.), which is a free tutorial service available to all students. See the Palmer Counseling Academic Support Studies web site for more information and a schedule of tutorials.

Q: If I take an Individualized Curricular schedule can I graduate with my class?
A: Yes, it is possible; however it may be difficult due to conflicting courses, schedules and class size. It will most likely require that you take in one or two trimesters in excess of the 29–31 credits students take on the 10 trimester schedule.  There are multiple advantages to planning an alternate schedule curriculum that many students do not realize.  Approximately 60% of students complete the curriculum in 10 trimesters.  The Academic Counselors can discuss with you the benefits of alternate schedules.

Q: Who will know if I see a counselor? Can parents, relatives, or professors find out?
A: Confidential. No one has access to this information without the student’s written permission. Counseling information about clients is confidential, No information about who is receiving counseling or the nature of their visits is released without the written permission of the person. Exceptions to this include a request for information by a college official who has an educationally legitimate reason to know, subpoena, child abuse, or if there is a threat to the health and safety of the oneself or others, the individual. It is a priority of the counselors to maintain your confidentiality.

Q: If I seek counseling, will it become a part of my Palmer College records?
A: No, information shared with a counselor does not become a part of your academic or education records.

Q: Is there a limit to how long or how many counseling sessions I can receive?
A: We realize one of students’ most precious resources is time. We emphasize short-term solution-focused counseling to efficiently address the needs of as many students as possible. Our most important goal is to effectively and professionally meet the students’ needs.

Q: What hours are counselors available?
A: At Palmer we try to provide students the most accessible services we can. Academic Counselors are available Monday through Friday generally from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Personal, mental health and wellness counseling is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with free certified telephone consultants, and a broad range of online resources through a Student Resource and Assistance Program called LifeWorks. Any day, anytime call 1-888-267-8126 or log on to www.lifeworks.com.

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