Student Counseling Services (SCS) understands that men have particular emotional, physical, and sexual health issues and concerns. Working along with other campus partners such as Thielen Student Health Center, Academic Success, Division of Student Affairs, The Center and many others. We are committed to addressing these issues and concerns.
While men and woman are both affected by mental health, men are less likely to seek treatment for mental health concerns. Recognizing the signs that you or someone you love may have a mental disorder is the first step toward getting treatment. The earlier that treatment begins, the more effective it can be. More than ever, male public figures including athletes, musicians, and actors among other male celebrities have come forward in sharing their experiences of mental health issues changing social perceptions and narratives on men and mental health.
Mental Health Services at Student Counseling Services
SCS offers a wide array of support aimed to fit the needs of the individual student which include: individual and group therapy services, workshops, Let’s Talk program, TAO Self-Help resources and community referrals. To get started with counseling or other SCS services, students can call 515-294-5056 during SCS business hours to schedule an initial appointment. During this appointment you will complete paperwork and meet briefly with a provider to do discuss::
- Depression and Anxiety
- Relationships
- Substance and Alcohol use
- Relationship Issues
- Chronic Pain
- Sexuality and Gender Identity
- Sleep quality
- Pornography
- Video Game and Internet addiction
- Managing Mood
- Sports and Performance
- Eating, Body Image, and Exercise concerns
Crisis Response and Intervention Services at Student Counseling Services
What constitutes a mental health crisis?
- If you are concerned about your personal safety or the safety of others
- If you are concerned about harming yourself or someone else
- If you believe you are losing touch with reality
Crisis services are available to all ISU students, regardless of if you have been seen at SCS before or not. If you are in need of a crisis intervention, including assessment of your concerns and planning for immediate safety, please call Student Counseling Services (515-294-5056) during our business hours and inform us that you are in crisis and would like to talk to a counselor. Your call will then be transferred to one of the on-call counselors. We will ask that you provide us with some information regarding your situation prior to be seen by one of the on-call counselors.
SCS Men’s Group
The Men’s group at SCS centers on connection and community for male identified students at ISU. The intent of the group is to foster acceptance of self and others, to find and express appreciation for individual differences, and offer a sense of belonging in our community. It is SCS’s hope to co-create a group where any and all male-identified students look forward to and feel a part of. This Understanding Self and Others (USO) group is intended to provide members with support, affirmation and interpersonal learning, while also deepening the connection with self through the feedback from peers relating through shared lived experiences and strategies to enhance well-being.
Physical Health and Medical Services
SCS works closely with Thielen Student Health Services (TSHC) where students may schedule an appointment at the full-service health clinic staffed with physicians, advanced registered nurse practitioners, and trained healthcare professionals to support your individual health care needs.
- Medication Management
- Genital concerns (e.g., prostate issues, testicular pain, problems with erections, early ejaculation, etc.)
- Groin strains or other injuries (e.g., hernias)
- Rectal complaints
- Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and Infections (STIs)
- Contraceptive counseling including Condoms, PReP, and PEP.
Just Have Questions – Ask a Nurse!
If you have a question or concern about your health, the Student Health Center offers free, confidential advice to students. A registered nurse is available during open hours to answer your questions and give you self-care tips, medical tips and non-judgmental advice on whether you need to schedule an appointment. Just call (515) 294-5801 and ask to speak to one of our nurses! If one is not readily available, we can call you back at a time that’s convenient for you.
If you have a medical question after hours, feel free to call (515) 294-5801. This phone line is answered 24/7.
If you are not sure where to start, the staff aims to help connect students with information and resources to make informed decisions regarding a broad range of mental and physical health-related topics.
Additional Resources [1]
Men’s Health Network
The Men’s Health Network is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to reach men, boys, and their families where they live, work, play, and pray with health awareness and disease prevention messages and tools, screening programs, educational materials, advocacy opportunities, and patient navigation.
Reading Lists
Eating, Body Image, and Appearance
- The Adonis Complex, by Harrison G. Pope (2002)
- Making Weight: Healing Men’s Conflicts with Food, Weight, Shape and Appearance, by Arnold E. Anderson, Leigh Cohn, Tom Holbrook (2000)
- The Invisible Man: A Self-help Guide for Men With Eating Disorders, Compulsive Exercise and Bigorexia, by John F. Morgan (2008)
Mood
- Boys Don’t Cry: Why I hid my depression and why men need to talk about their mental health, by Tim Grayburn (2018)
- Men and Depression: What to Do When the Man You Care About is Depressed, by Theresa Francis-Cheung (2002)
- I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression, by Terrance Real (1998)
Sexuality
- Here’s What We’ll Say: Growing Up, Coming Out, and the U.S. Air Force Academy, by Reichen Lehmkul (2007)
- Nobody Is Supposed to Know: Black Sexuality on the Down Low, by C. Riley Snorton (2014)
Racial and Ethnic
- Cool Pose : The Dilemmas of Black Manhood in America, by Richard Majors and Janet Mancini Bilson (1993)
- We Real Cool: Black Men and Masculinity, by bell hooks (2004)
- Angry White Men: American Masculinity at the End of an Era, 2nd ed. Edition, Michael Kimmel (2017)
- Man Up: Reimagining Modern Manhood, by Carlos Andres Gomez (2013)
Sexual Dysfunction, Issues and Addiction
- Breaking the Cycle: Free Yourself from Sex Addiction, Porn Obsession, and Shame, by George Collins and Andrew Adleman (2011)
- Your Brain on Porn: Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction, Gary Wilson (2020)
- Walking Through the Storm: A Story of Recovery from Sex Addiction, by Brady C. (2018)
[1] The resources listed are included for informational purposes only, and should not be used to implement as a replacement for the specialized training of a supervised and/or licensed mental health care professional.