Counseling Center

For Veterans and Active Military Students

While only about 260 Towson University students in 2009 were active military personnel or veterans, that number is expected to grow. Students who are veterans or active military may be reluctant to seek counseling services. According to a recent article (Dingfelder, June 2009, APA Monitor on Psychology, vol. 40 (6), p. 52), "about a fifth of people returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are reporting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression, and only half seek treatment.” For a discussion of concerns that active military/veteran students may have about seeking mental health counseling, please follow this link.

Towson strives to meet the unique needs of students who have or are currently serving in the military. Some of the challenges that active military or veteran students may face are:

• Being older than the average student
  
• Needing to readjust to civilian life while also adjusting to college
  
• Adjusting to a routine that is less structured and regimented than military life
  
• Feeling socially isolated and disconnected from your military unit
  
• Having experiences to which other non-military students cannot relate
  
• Heightened awareness of your environment (necessary for survival on the battlefield) leading to concentration difficulties in the classroom
  
• Coping with grief and trauma (invisible injuries) as well as physical injuries
  
• Uncertainty about the possibility of reactivation and deployment
  
• Worry/concern over your ability to succeed academically
  

These are normal challenges for veterans/active military students. While you should be patient with yourself and give yourself time to get used to your new environment, you might also consider using the resources below as they will help you to:

• Connect with other military/veteran students with whom you share similar experiences
  
• Locate academic resources to help you with your classes
  
• Locate resources to help you address difficulties adjusting to non-military life and cope with both visible and invisible injuries
  

Campus Services

• Veterans Center (Psychology, Room 107; 410-704-2992)
  • Director - Patrick Young (pyoung@towson.edu; 410-704-2991). Patrick is a Marine combat veteran.
    
• Towson Student Veterans group (410-704-3583)
  • Tracy Miller (tmiller@towson.edu) leads and will serve as an unofficial academic adviser to any veteran/active military student on campus.
    
• Towson University Counseling Center (410-704-2512)
  • For support as you adjust to Towson or for mental health services call or visit the Towson University Counseling Center.
    

Related Resources

• Towson University Map
  
• Other important reminders for Towson students
  

Self Help

• For information about post-deployment issues (After Deployment website)
  
• Resources for those grieving the loss of someone serving in the military (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors website)
  
• For information about the services available through the Baltimore VA Hospital (United States Department of Veterans Affairs)
  
• For more information about issues facing veteran and active military students (Half of Us website)
  

Counseling Center
Glen Esk (map)
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Phone: 410-704-2512
E-mail: counseling@towson.edu