Our Philosophy

STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES and COUNSELING SERVICES share a common facility -Gettysburg College's Health Center. More importantly, the nursing, medical, and counseling staffs share common philosophies and goals. Health and Counseling Services work as a team. We are qualified professionals representing diverse specialties within the field of college health care. Staff members receive continuing education to maintain professional qualifications. Members of the medical and counseling staffs work closely with faculty, administrators, and parents on issues, which are of concern to individual students as well as the student body.

While good health cannot always be the absence of problems or freedom from disease, we do believe that the individual is the best resource -and has the greatest responsibility -for good health. So that we can join you in a shared approach to your wellness, we have integrated our primary health care and psychological services to promote the emotional and physical well-being of members of the College community.

Our health care professionals have merged their specialties in the college health field into what some people call the wellness approach. Others might refer to it as self-care or holism. Whatever the term, we practice a positive approach to your individual lifestyle through the development of physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual well-being.

When students take an active role in their health care by making medical or counseling appointments, they tap into a program, which offers the full attention of our team. The professional who provides that care may suggest that the student would benefit from additional help, which is available just down the hallway of the Health Center. Located under one roof, we can make treatment referrals directly and case consultations immediately. When an individual case requires it, professionals from both the medical and counseling staffs may be involved.

For the student who seeks primary health care or psychological assistance, the Health Center offers a wide variety of resources, which focus upon improving well-being. Each staff member is a health educator who strives to support the student's development of self-care skills. To aid in this, we offer workshops, lectures, self-help group sessions, CHEERS Peer Educators, a variety of written and taped self-help materials are available in our Resource Room. We describe these services in greater detail in the following pages.
Gettysburg College offers many other campus programs, which support and promote physical and emotional health. Events and workshops are sponsored by the Chapel, College Union, Career Services, College Life/Residence Life, GRAB, the Center for Public Service, Women's Center, as well as the programs of Health and Exercise Sciences and Intercollegiate and Intramural, Recreation, and Fitness. We hope that students will take advantage of these valuable opportunities to enrich their experience at Gettysburg College