Gettysburg College Counseling staff have the privilege of working with an accomplished and diverse student body. We are honored to work with students with various identities and levels of identity acceptance. We make it our priority to meet students where they are in their developmental process.
We also acknowledge the impact of stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, oppression, power, and privilege on our students’ lives. Numerous barriers may prevent students from utilizing our services, including fear of not being heard or being misunderstood. Consequently, we continuously act to assess & remove these barriers, so Counseling Services is accessible to all our students on campus.
We acknowledge that we are a team of persons with various identities, some which are openly apparent while others are not. We are multifaceted individuals with many cultural and disciplinary approaches to therapy.
Despite our differences, both individually and collectively we strongly uphold these professional core values:
- We value the dignity and worth of all human beings while treating each person with care and respect, continuously working to do no harm.
- We value justice, recognizing that fairness and equality are essential factors for social change, particularly with regard to vulnerable and oppressed individuals, groups, and communities.
- We value integrity, acting honestly and responsibly while safeguarding the counselor/client relationship and maintaining professional ethical standards.
- We value autonomy and self-determination by promoting the right of individuals to control the direction of their lives and live according to their identities.
- We value privacy and confidentiality while providing a safe environment where all can freely express themselves without judgement.
As a team, we expect that we will support each other in the process of self-exploration around issues of diversity, challenging our own biases and engaging in difficult dialogues. We take responsibility to educate ourselves and others about current events, struggles, and systemic racism that affect our students and community.
Current actions
What we are doing now to ensure that we meet our department’s mission:
- Holding challenging conversations within our department
- Increasing collaboration with and outreach to different departments on campus
- Prioritizing personal & professional development on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Staying relevant on resources for specific communities and advertising them to the campus community through our social media platform @GettysburgGood
What we plan to continue to do in the future:
- Continue professional development on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Have ongoing conversations/opportunities for reflection with students to ensure that we are meeting our stated mission & values statements and goals
- Invite student & community feedback about our work so we continue to expand our awareness on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Statement on Racial Violence & Discrimination
We are committed to fostering a community of acceptance, awareness, tolerance, and respect. Each member of our Gettysburg College counseling team experiences grief and pain with those impacted by the race-based tragedies that have been occurring across our nation. We acknowledge the highly disturbing consequences of racism and racial discrimination that have perpetuated oppression toward various individuals and communities in America. We denounce racism and bigotry in all forms, which can lead to traumas that can manifest as depression, anxiety, fear, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and anger. Counseling Services is committed to supporting and providing care for all of our students impacted directly or vicariously by trauma.
We encourage you to contact our office if you would like support with coping and healing.