Counseling & Mental Health

Welcome to WCJC's Counseling and Mental Health Department! Our team of licensed professionals is here to provide confidential support for those struggling with personal, emotional, and psychological concerns. We offer a safe and inclusive space for you to seek guidance and promote overall wellness through group and individual counseling.

Licensed Professional Counselors are available to provide short-term, solution-focused counseling and referrals, free of charge to WCJC students. If you need ongoing, therapeutic counseling or support beyond the scope of the WCJC counseling services, we will be happy to refer you to an outside agency or professional resource within your community. All costs incurred by those referrals are your responsibility.

What We Do

WCJC Counselors are trained professionals who provide an objective and nonjudgmental setting where you can discuss any number of concerns, including:

Stress and anxiety
Family or relationship issues
Coping with grief or loss
Managing academic pressure
Personal or college-related concerns

Make an Appointment

Counselors are available to meet with you in person or virtually. To schedule an appointment, email counseling@wcjc.edu or contact the counselor for the specific campus listed below:

Wharton & Bay City Campuses: Shannon Glardon, LPC
Sugar Land Campus: Amber Barbee, LPC
Richmond Campus: Torey Gilmore, LPC

Support groups provide a safe and confidential space for individuals to connect and share their experiences with others who may be facing similar challenges or circumstances. Join a group for mutual support and personal growth. You can join a group at any time during the semester by showing up to a meeting or email counseling@wcjc.edu for more information.

Group of people sitting in a circle holding hands

Call the Shots

A group for Nursing students, "Call the Shots" will focus on test prep, test anxiety, test-taking skills, and vocabulary building.

Sugar Land Campus: Brazos Hall 365 - Wednesdays at 11:30AM-12:30AM

Art & Soul

This group is open to all students, skillful artist or not. Members focus on processing their experiences through creating art and having an outlet for expression. This group helps individuals learn to express who they are and how they are feeling without having to use words. Finding creative hobbies increases self-care and fosters more positive moos, greater interest, and reduction in tension and stress. Students will be provided with all supplies and given a safe and supportive environment to openly share their art and their stories in a safe space if they choose. This group will meet the first Friday of the month.

Richmond Campus: Lobby - 1st Fridays at 9AM

Sugar Land Campus: Brazos Hall 210A - 1st Fridays at 9AM

Wharton Campus: PSC 1st Floor - 1st Fridays at 9AM

Pioneer Homestead - Food Pantry

The WCJC Pioneer Homestead is a reservation-based food pantry supporting all current students. Each campus has a food pantry supplied with pre-packaged bags. Please follow these steps to request and receive a bag of pantry items.

Submit a Request Form. (All information submitted is confidential.)
You will receive a notification to your email when your bag is ready for pick up.
Pick up your pantry bag at your designated campus counseling office.

Clothing vouchers are also available upon request. Questions? Email counseling@wcjc.edu or call 979-532-6384.

Access these tools any time day or night, especially when a counselor is not available. For in-person assistance or referrals see your WCJC Campus Counselor.

Suicide Prevention

If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911 immediately.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or call 988

Suicide Prevention begins with recognizing warning signs and taking them seriously. You can save a life by talking openly about suicidal thoughts and feelings. Discussing suicide in a neutral and factual manner decreases stigma and encourages others to open up about suicide.

Possible signs of suicide:

Talking about wanting to die or wanting to kill themselves
Planning or looking for a way to end their life
Securing a means to carry out their plan eg: buying a gun or stockpiling pills
Talking about their feelings of being empty, hopeless, not having a reason to live, being a burden to others, things would be better if they were no longer here, etc
Having feelings of being trapped, unbearable pain, unable to identify reasons to live
Becoming withdrawn from family friends or saying goodbye to loved ones and organizing final affairs
Displaying extreme mood swings

Talking about Suicide:

Ask about thoughts or plans of suicide. Do not be afraid to ask them if they are having thoughts of suicide or thoughts of killing themselves and thank them for telling you how they are feeling.
Believe what they say and take their actions seriously.
Listen and be nonjudgmental.
Help them think of reasons to live and ways to keep themselves safe
Stay with them until you get help. Tell them “Let’s look for help together”

If you or someone you know is suicidal, there are resources:

Call the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline (press 1 for Veterans and 2 for Spanish speaking)
Text TX to 741741 for free 24/7 crisis support in the US
Text 838255 for free 24/7 Veterans crisis support
The Trevor Project (LGBTQ), 866-488-7368
Call Texana 24 hour Mental Health Crisis Hotline: 1-800-633-5686 (covers Matagorda, Wharton, Fort Bend, Austin, Colorado, and Waller Counties)
Call 911 and ask for a mental health officer
Wharton County Jr. College counseling center

Crisis Intervention Hotlines

Use these hotlines and services at any time.

Crisis Text Line or call 713-468-5463

Texana Mental Health Services Crisis Phone 1-800-633-5686

National Human Trafficking Hotline or call 1-888-373-7888, TTY: 711

Veteran's Crisis Line or call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1

National Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-4673

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)

National Teen Dating Violence Hotline: 1-866-331-9474
Text “loveis” 22522

National Eating Disorders Helpline: 800-931-2237

National Runaway Switchboard: 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929)

Substance Abuse Mental Health: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Support and referral for drug and alcohol services

Trevor Project: LGBTQ crisis and suicide help, 866-488-7386, text 202-304-1200 or chat online

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) National Hotline: 888-843-4564
Monday-Friday 3 pm to 11 pm CST; Saturday 11 am to 5 pm CST

Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
Available 24/7. The hotline is staffed by volunteers who are all trans-identified and educated in the range of difficulties transgender people experience.

Texas Adult Protective Services (APS) and Elder Abuse Hotline: 1-800-252-5400

Alzheimer’s Association Helpline: 1-800-272-3900

American Cancer Society: 1-800-227-2345

Child and Adult Abuse: 1-800-252-5400

Child Support-Attorney General: 1-800-252-8014

Legal Match - Find the Right Lawyer: 1-800-252-9690

Poison Control: 1-800- 222-1222

Social Security Administration: 800-772-1213

Hotlines and Helplines

Texana Mental Health Services: Fort Bend, Wharton, Austin, Colorado, and Matagorda counties mental healthcare locator. Use the website or call 281-239-1300

United Way: Greater Houston: Searchable database of area-wide community resources for a variety of contacts including mental health, disability, housing, medical, and legal services. Use the website or call 2-1-1 or 1-800-833-5948 or 713-957-4357.

Texas Health and Human Services: A state organization that assists people with mental health challenges, substance abuse, foster care, disabilities, and families with children who have developmental delays. Contact Texas Workforce Commission or Texas Health and Human Services for more specific information for how they can help you.

ULifeline.com and HalfofUs.com: Online resources for college students that can help you learn more about what to do if you or your friends are struggling with mental health issues.

Mental Health.gov: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services resource page regarding mental health and available help.

Al-Anon: Substance abuse help for individuals and family members.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Learn about the many topics that highlight SAMHSA's efforts to prevent and reduce the impact of mental illness and substance use in America's communities.

Methodist Hospital Community Support Groups: Grief support, caregiver support, cancer support groups.

Mental Health Resources

Mental Health IS Health. Mental Health incudes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. We all struggle from time to time. Whether its you or someone you know, find resources that can help maintain optimal Mental Health. Many of the resources below include physical assistance and financial resources. We have included a brief description of how the organization can help. Their webpage is linked to the organization’s name for your convenience. Our WCJC Counselors are here for you as well. If you’d like to make an appointment, email Counseling@wcjc.edu We are available in person or online.

Mental Health Screening: These online screening tests from Mental Health America (MHA) are a quick way to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition. If your results indicate you may be experiencing symptoms of a mental illness, consider reaching out to a mental health provider or doctor. They can give you a full assessment and talk to you about options for how to feel better.

Texana Mental Health Services: Fort Bend, Wharton, Austin, Colorado and Matagorda counties mental healthcare locator; 281-239-1300

Texas Health and Human Services: A state organization that assists people with mental health challenges, substance abuse, foster care, disabilities and families with children who have developmental delays to pursue independent and productive lives. Contact Texas Workforce Commission or Texas Health and Human Services for more specific information as to how they may assist a student in college.

ULifeline.com and HalfofUs.com: Online resources for college students that can help you to learn more about what to do if you or your friends are struggling with mental health issues.

Mental Health.gov: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services resource page regarding mental health and available help. If you are someone you know is struggling or in a crisis, help is available. Call or text 988.

Al-Anon: Substance abuse help for individuals and family members.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Learn about the many topics that highlight SAMHSA’s efforts to prevent and reduce the impact of mental illness and substance use in America’s communities.

Methodist Hospital Community Support Groups: Grief support, caregiver support, cancer support groups.

Health Resources

Healthy Living - Health Topics from A-Z - learn about diseases and conditions, healthy living, workplace safety, environmental health, global health and more.

Immunizations

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

AIDS / HIV

Check out our events to keep you informed and supported throughout your time at WCJC.