Counseling Services
Mental Health Counseling Services at VLS
Vermont Law School takes the mental health of its students and staff seriously. VLS is aware that the study and practice of the law can be stressful and that stress can result in more serious conditions, such as depression and anxiety.Mental Health Counseling is available to students and staff on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the South Royalton Health Center. The center is located at 79 South Windsor St in South Royalton, (next to the church with the red door.)
Members of the VLS community are able to access three sessions at no cost to them with one of our counselors. If the student or staff member is in need of more than three sessions, they may use their insurance to continue with one of the VLS counselors or the counselors will provide them with appropriate referrals.
FAQS
FAQS about Counseling at VLS:1. “How do I know if I need help?”
It can be difficult to identify the feelings associated with emotional stress and even more difficult to know whether these feelings warrant speaking to a counselor. If you have experienced one or more of the symptoms below for more than a few days, please make an appointment to see one of the counselors.
Below are some common symptoms of emotional stress:
| ... On your body | ... On your mood | ... On your behavior |
| Headache Muscle tension or pain Chest pain Fatigue Change in sex drive Stomach upset Sleep problems |
Anxiety Restlessness Lack of motivation or focus Irritability or anger Sadness or depression |
Overeating or undereating Angry outbursts Drug or alcohol abuse Tobacco use Social withdrawal |
2. “How will the counselors help me?”
The VLS counselors will help you identify sources of your stress. They may help you develop stress/anxiety reduction skills, time-management skills or relaxation techniques. They may provide referrals to other medical or mental health providers in the area for additional services or they may simply provide you with a safe place to vent frustration or sadness.
3. “Will the counselors tell the administration or the professors that I am having problems?”
The counselors are bound by a strict ethical code of confidentiality. With a few exceptions, what you share with the counselors or even the fact that you have visited the counselor will remain completely confidential. The exceptions are as follows: if you let the counselor know that you are having serious thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, the counselor will be obliged to either try to get help for you or to warn those you are planning to harm. If you let the counselor know that you are abusing a child or an elderly person, the counselor will report this to Child or Adult Protective Services. If the counselor is subpoenaed by a judge to testify in a case in which you are involved, the counselors may be obliged to do so. If you sign a release permitting the counselors to discuss your case with someone else, they may ethically do so. Otherwise, seeing the counselor will not effect your standing here at VLS or your character and fitness to be a lawyer.
4. “How much does it cost to see the counselors at VLS?”
VLS enables students and staff to see one of the counselors three times at no cost to them. After three sessions, the counselors will bill your insurance for the session. Please check with your insurance company to determine whether there will be a co-pay for this service.
5. “Can the VLS counselors prescribe medication?”
No; the VLS counselors cannot prescribe medication. The counselors may refer you to a prescribing clinician. You may also inquire whether your General Practitioner has any recommendations for you. Please see the list of numbers below for additional resources.
6. “What do I do if it is after hours and I need to speak to someone immediately?”
If you or someone close to you is having a mental health crisis, you may call the Clara Martin Center 24-hour hotline. This number is: 800.639.6360.
If this is a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room.
About Us
Hill Anderson, LICSW
Hill has been a full-time practicing psychotherapist for more than 30 years. He received his MSW from Boston University in 1976 and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1970. From 1976-1988, Hill was on the full-time faculty of the Dartmouth Medical School Department of Psychiatry working with both inpatients and outpatients and supervising psychiatric residents and psychology interns.Hill has been a counselor at VLS for over 20 years and currently divides his time between counseling students and staff and as a therapist in his private practice in Norwich.
Eleanor Lowenthal, LMFT
Eleanor has been a practicing psychotherapist since 2005. She received her MA in Counseling Psychology from John F. Kennedy University in California and her BA from Mills College in Oakland, CA. Eleanor completed her post-graduate training at St. Mary’s Medical Center in the McAuley Institute; an adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit. Eleanor was subsequently hired by the McAuley Institute and worked there until 2009 both in the inpatient and outpatient units. Eleanor has worked as a counselor in the juvenile detention facility in San Francisco as well as in secondary and post-secondary educational settings, also in San Francisco. Eleanor relocated to the Upper Valley in 2010 and currently sees clients in her private practice in Hanover, NH as well as at VLS.Contacts and Resources
The counselors at VLS are located in the South Royalton Health Center (the building is on the green, next to the church with the red door.)VLS Counselors:
Hill Anderson, LICSW
802.649.2617
hillanderson@gmail.com
Hill is in South Royalton on Wednesdays by appointment. He is available in his Norwich office Tuesday, Thursday and Friday by appointment
Eleanor Lowenthal, LMFT
802.333.0340
eleanor.lowenthal@gmail.com
Eleanor is in South Royalton on Tuesdays from 9:00-4:00 by appointment or drop-in (as available.) She is available in her Hanover office by appointment Monday, Friday and Saturday.
Community Mental Health Centers
Clara Martin Center
24-hour Emergency Services
800.639.6360
Clara Martin Center Community-centered offices:
Randolph: 802.728.4466
Wilder: 802.295.1311
Chelsea: 802.685.4859
Bradford: 802.222.4477
Health Care and Rehabilitation Services:
Hartford: 802.295.3031
Dartmouth Hitchcock Psychiatric Associates: (24-hours)
800.556.6249
Hospitals:
Gifford Medical CenterRandolph: 802-728-7000
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon, NH: 603-650-5000
Alice Peck Day Memorial
Lebanon, NH: 603-448-3121
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