As part of our regular content, The Mirror News will include updates from HFCC’s Counseling Department. For the first issue of the year, we went straight to the source and asked Diane Green, Associate Dean of Counseling, Assisted Learning Services, and Focus On Women where counseling fits in the big picture.

How can counselors help students during those first few weeks of the semester when they are attempting to transition and adjust to college demands and expectations?
Counselors are available to help students identify resources the college has available to support their personal and educational needs. The counselors can also answer questions about the program of study they are pursuing at HFCC and how their fall semester classes, and subsequent semesters, play into building a foundation of focus toward their educational and career goals. We can assist students who are undecided about their educational goals by providing career guidance counseling. Counselors use career assessments, career guidance software programs, and other career development tools which are available, at no cost to the students, through our Career Resource Center. If students find they are experiencing difficulty managing their time, or they are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious counselors can help them to identify effective strategies to reduce or eliminate these feelings. Our goal is to provide quality and confidential service in support of our students’ academic and personal success.
What kinds of services are available to students as they move through their fall semester classes and subsequent semesters?
The Counseling office offers a variety of workshops and seminars that focus on providing information that will hopefully help students in a variety of areas. Some of our workshop and seminar topics include career exploration, college transfer expectations, learning styles, study skills, test anxiety, depression, success in the classroom, personal responsibility, and non-traditional careers for men and women. Workshops and seminars will be advertised on the College web and E-mail event notifications will also be sent to students. College counselors are also available to help students reassess and further clarify their educational and career goals and to outline a realistic path to accomplishing them. And, should a student be confronted by unexpected barriers or challenges to their goals, counselors are available to provide brief personal counseling services, on an appointment basis, to help them address their concerns.
Our focus is always to help students to be the best they can be!
Our counselors, all of whom are licensed by the State of Michigan (LPC's), are available Monday - Thursday from 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Students may call 313-845-9611, or stop in, to make an appointment to see a counselor. The Career Resource Center, which is located in the Counseling office, is open Monday - Thursday from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.