Personal counseling
KCAI has a full-time professional counselor on-staff during the academic school year. The contact information is listed below.
Nikol Averbuch
Kansas City Art Institute
Professional Counselor
(816) 802-3376
Nikol’s role as a counselor is to meet with students with a variety of presenting concerns. These concerns include some of the following:
- Transitioning to KCAI from high school.
- Transferring to KCAI from a different college, junior college or art school
- Adjusting to life at art school as a non-traditional student
- Homesickness
- Eating disorders
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Suicide prevention and warning signs
- Time management concerns
- Self-esteem
- Surviving a difficult critique with your self-esteem intact
- Just having a difficult time
- Sexual orientation/gender Identity
Additionally, KCAI contracts with local psychologists and UMKC Counseling Psychology doctoral interns who come to campus and see students for ongoing counseling. One of Nikol’s roles is to meet with students for a brief intake session to determine, with the input of the student, if the student would benefit from meeting with a counseling intern or psychologist on a weekly basis for ongoing counseling. These spots are open to students during the academic year and are limited by availability. If a counselor is not available, Nikol can help you identify outside resources that can help and provide referral information to additional mental health care providers.
Please consider accessing online help at the following websites:
http://ccvillage.buffalo.edu/vpc.html
http://mentalhealthscreening.org/
During the summer months, or in the event that Nikol is not immediately available, you may contact Dr. Bambi Burgard, Associate Vice President for Student Achievement and Licensed Psychologist. Her office is in Vanderslice, and her phone number is 816-802-3455