Individual Counseling
In order to meet significant student demand and use its resources most effectively, the Counseling Center utilizes a short-term individual therapy model and group therapy.
Short-Term Individual Therapy
Short-term Individual counseling is a process through which clients work one-on-one with a trained counselor—in a safe, caring, and confidential environment—to explore their feelings, beliefs, or behaviors, work through challenging or influential memories, identify aspects of their lives that they would like to change, better understand themselves and others, set personal goals, and work toward desired change.
Services Provided by the Counseling Center
Some of the concerns that are commonly addressed in short-term counseling at the Counseling Center are:
- Personal: Stress, anxiety, depression, anger, loneliness, guilt, low self-esteem, grief
- Relationship: Romantic relationship, roommate problems, family problems, social life
- Developmental: Identity (e.g., personal, cultural, sexual orientation, gender identity), adjustment to college, healthy lifestyle choices, decisions, life transitions
- Substance Use: Concerns for self or others related to alcohol or other drug use/abuse
- Academic: Performance anxiety, perfectionism, academic difficulties
- Other Concerns: Effects of trauma, sexual assault, abuse, concerns from childhood or adolescence, body image, food preoccupation, disordered eating
- Psychiatric Services
Referral to Community Resources
Students whose needs require long-term support will generally be referred to community resources for ongoing treatment. Similarly, students whose needs require a particular type of expertise that is not available in the Center are also referred to community resources.
Even in cases where a student’s ongoing needs necessitate a referral to community resources, the Counseling Center can often assist the student in managing the presenting concerns and provide support until the student is able to connect to the appropriate community resources.
The Counseling Center may provide referral services through phone consultation, during the initial session, or as these factors become more apparent during the course of services.
You may wish to review our Scope of Practice.