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Counseling

Welcome to the Counseling Center

The Counseling Center at KC supports the well-being and resiliency of students as they navigate life while enrolled at Kilgore College.

KC offers free mental health services to all students enrolled in classes. Common areas addressed are anxiety, mood management, grief and loss, relationships, stress management, time management, motivation and focus, depression and mindfulness. Services include crisis response, brief counseling, prevention activities, and educational workshops.

Lori George-Richard, LMSW

For KC students:

If you are a KC student and you’d like to make an appointment with our licensed mental health counselor, please feel free to fill out the following counseling request form:

Counseling Request Form

For KC employees:

If you are a KC instructor and you’d like to refer a student to the counseling center, please feel free to complete the following counseling referral form.

Counseling - Employee Referral Form

Suicide warning signs and how to help

Suicide warning signs are specific behaviors that could indicate someone may be thinking about suicide. Recognizing warning signs is an important first step in being able to help someone. The more warning signs you see, the more likely it is that your friend may be thinking about suicide.

Remember, if your friend is in immediate danger or their safety is at risk, contact a mental health crisis line 988 or emergency services 911 in your country.

  • Talking about or making plans for suicide. This may be in person or on social media.
  • Expressing hopelessness about the future.
  • Displaying severe/overwhelming emotional pain or distress.
  • Showing worrisome behavioral cues or marked changes in behavior, particularly in the presence of the warning signs above. Specifically, this includes significant:
    • Withdrawal from or changing in social connections/situations.
    • Changes in sleep (increased or decreased).
    • Anger or hostility that seems out of character or out of context.
    • Recent increased agitation or irritability.
  • Direct or indirect verbal cues about their suicidal thoughts. These are typically communicated through feelings of being trapped, helpless and hopeless.
    • Direct verbal cues are clear statements expressing suicidal thoughts, such as “I’m thinking about killing myself,” while indirect verbal cues serve more as hints that a student is thinking about suicide. These can be statements like “Things will be better when I’m gone” or “I want to go to sleep and never wake up.”

To learn more about warning signs, visit https://www.youthsuicidewarningsigns.org/

If a friend is showing suicide warning signs, it’s crucial to take their distress seriously and offer appropriate support. Here’s how you can help:

  • Stay Calm and Listen: Approach your friend with a calm and non-judgmental demeanor. Let them know you’re there to listen and that their feelings are valid.
  • Express Concern: Let your friend know that you’re worried about them. Use “I” statements to express your feelings, such as “I’m really concerned about you and want to help.”
  • Take It Seriously: If your friend mentions suicide, self-harm, or feeling hopeless, take their words seriously. It’s better to overreact than to ignore their distress.
  • Ask Directly: If you feel comfortable, ask your friend directly if they’re thinking about suicide. This shows that you care and are willing to talk openly about their feelings.
  • Express Concern: Let your friend know that you’re worried about them. Use “I” statements to express your feelings, such as “I’m really concerned about you and want to help.”
  • Encourage Professional Help: Suggest that your friend talk to a mental health professional, such as a counselor, therapist, or psychiatrist. Offer to help them find resources if needed. Contact the Counseling Center at 903 983-8206 or email counseling@kilgore.edu. Call the 24/7 Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 or call/text 988.
  • Stay with Them: If your friend is in immediate danger, don’t leave them alone. Encourage them to reach out to the mental health crisis line 988, and if necessary, stay with them or ask someone else for help.
  • Limit Access to Means: If your friend has expressed a specific plan for suicide, try to limit their access to any means they could use to harm themselves, such as medications or weapons.
  • Contact Your Support Network: Reach out to other friends, family members, or trusted individuals who can also offer support. You don’t have to handle this alone.
  • Be Patient: Recovery takes time, and your friend may not immediately feel better. Continue to offer your support and check in on them regularly.
  • Follow Up: Continue to check in on your friend even after the initial crisis has passed. Let them know you’re there for them in the long run.

 

Remember, if your friend is in immediate danger or their safety is at risk, contact a mental health crisis line 988 or emergency services 911 in your country.

Mental health counselors listed by county

There are also community agencies that serve both short and longer-term mental health needs. These agencies serve individuals by county of residence.

For students residing in Bowie, Cass, Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Panola, Red River, Rusk and Upshur counties, the agency to contact is:

  • Community Healthcore
  • 107 Woodbine Place
  • Longview, TX 75601
  • Crisis Phone: (800) 832-1009
  • Main Phone: (903) 758-2471

For students residing in Henderson, Rains, Smith, Van Zandt and Wood counties, the agency to contact is:

  • Andrews Center Behavioral Healthcare System
  • 2323 West Front St.
  • Tyler, TX 75702-7747
  • Crisis Phone: (877) 934-2131
  • Main Phone: (903) 597-1351
  • Visit Website

More Resources

If you or someone you know needs to talk with someone, here are some helpful resources:

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Call or text 988
  • Crisis Text Line - Special keyword for students of color - Text STEVE to 741741
  • National Parent Helpline at: 1-855-427-2736

For information about Counseling or if you were or are in foster care

Jessica Jester

  • Administrative Assistant
  • Counseling & Social Services
  • Devall Student Center (DEVAL), 2nd Floor
Contact

Lori George-Richard, LMSW

  • Coordinator of Counseling
  • Mental Health
  • Devall Student Center (DEVAL), 245
Contact