The Bridge Peer Counseling Center is Stanford's student run peer-counseling center. We offer anonymous and confidential 24/7 counseling to members of the greater Stanford community. Staffed by trained undergraduate and graduate Stanford students, we are here to listen and support.
It is our belief that people have the fundamental ability to help and support others through personal interaction. We offer this interaction through peer counseling and support in an effort to guide those in need to develop their own solutions to problems. We are here to listen, to explore feelings, to help sort out issues and uncertainties, or just to talk.
We'd love to have you join us and we think you'll love it too! Our counselors credit their experience with the Bridge for helping them in their personal lives and as preparation for jobs in a wide variety of fields including medicine, research, teaching, and social services. We were awarded ASSU Volunteer Student Organization of the Year in 2012, and by joining the Bridge, you're joining the effort to help members of the Stanford community keep doing the amazing things they do and be the amazing people they are!
The training courses are offered every quarter (plenty of opportunities to join our staff throughout the year). We encourage aspiring counselors to take 193A followed by 193P.
If you've completed another course in counseling elsewhere, we still require that you complete the specified courses prior to staffing at The Bridge in order to make sure that we're all on the same page in terms of style and competency. We welcome students of all skill levels, however – no prior experience is required.
The Bridge is entirely student-run and staffed. Students fill a variety of positions. Staff members serve as volunteer counselors for a few hours each week after completing the 10-week training course. Coordinators directly administer publicity, finances, workshops, and dorm outreach programs in addition to other activities. The live-ins are the resident counselors at The Bridge, serving as the administrative and counseling leadership, and the backbone of our 24-hour counseling service.
How can I get involved if I'm not a Stanford student?
If you are not a student, but represent another organization or would like to get involved in some way, please contact us at thebridgepeercounseling@gmail.com with information about yourself and ideas for potential collaborations.
The Bridge is a student-run, self-supported campus organization with the unique quality (and added expense) of managing and maintaining a residential building for our live-in counselors. If you would like to make a donation to the Bridge, please contact us at thebridgepeercounseling@gmail.com and someone will get back to you with additional information.
The Bridge began in 1971 primarily as a student-run drug counseling center. Since then, it has evolved into a general peer counseling, workshop, and support center for Stanford University and the surrounding area. We are a community of staffers, coordinators, and live-in counselors who receive ongoing training and evaluation.
This page is under development. Check back in a few weeks for a more extensive Bridge history!
You are also welcome to stop by in person to ask questions. Our address is Rogers House, 581 Capistrano Way, Stanford, CA 94305.