Getting started
with counseling
How does counseling work?
Individual
counseling/psychotherapy is a process in which counselor,
psychologist or social worker facilitates a helping relationship
to prevent and remedy problems and to enhance personal growth.
The goals of counseling are to help you resolve difficulties,
adjust to life circumstances, succeed in school, establish
meaningful relationships and live a more satisfying and
productive life.
The counselor is there to
help you explore your feelings, thoughts, and concerns, learn
more about yourself, examine your options, overcome obstacles,
and achieve your goals. Awareness and insight into motives,
feelings, thoughts, actions, and perceptions are crucial
components of counseling. Without this insight, maladaptive and
unsuccessful patterns of behavior can be repeated.
Understanding these patterns, for example, where they originated
and how they are unproductive, can lead to choices about new
behaviors and ways of thinking and feeling that contribute to
more satisfying work, relationships, and overall functioning.
Typically, at Student
Counseling Services, the student and the counselor agree to meet
on a weekly basis to work on the student’s issue(s). An attempt
is made to offer the student the number of sessions necessary
for improvement in the area targeted for counseling. At times a
student may need to be referred to an agency or provider in the
community if the services needed go beyond the scope of Student
Counseling Services. Counseling is confidential.
What are some common
concerns for which students seek help?
Everyone has life situations
that may cause some distress at some points in their lives.
College students are no exception. Below is a list of common
concerns among students seen at Student Counseling Services.
How do I get started in
counseling?
Either call or stop by
Student Counseling Services to schedule an initial appointment.
This is called an intake appointment. During the intake the
counselor will want to know the reason for your visit including
signs of difficulties, recent events and your goals for
counseling. The counselor will also ask you a number of
questions related to major areas of your life, like family
circumstances, academic functioning, social life, and history of
problems. The gathering of this information will help the
counselor formulate an understanding of your concerns. The
counselor will then discuss with you recommendations for help.
This could include group, individual or couples therapy. It
could also include a referral for an evaluation for medication
if it is believed that medication could be a helpful adjunct to
therapy. This might be the case if your symptoms are of
sufficient intensity or duration to interfere with your daily
functioning. After you and your counselor agree on the
treatment plan, the work can begin.
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