Individual Therapy

An Initial Consultation appointment is often your first contact with the Center and typically consists of a 30-minute assessment. All Counseling appointments are scheduled as soon as possible given each student's availability, concern, and resources. During this Initial Consultation visit, you will have an opportunity to discuss what your presenting concerns are, and you and the therapist will make decisions about the type of services that would best meet your needs. You and the therapist will collaboratively make a determination as to whether brief individual, group and/or workshops would best suit your needs, or if you would be better suited by an off-campus treatment provider. If it appears that you would best be served by off-campus providers, we will assist you in locating a more suitable resource.

If your therapist recommends individual counseling, you may or may not be assigned to the same person you saw for the Initial Consultation. Occasionally, some students find that the initial session meets their needs, and they require no further services. Therapy sessions are offered for either 25–30 minutes or 45–50 minutes. The Counseling Center follows a culturally responsive. brief, goal-directed treatment model, which aims to assist you in gaining a deeper understanding of concerns, increasing insight into yourself and others, and learning ways to cope with and/or resolve problems in a timely manner. Together, you and your therapist will identify brief treatment goals for what you would like to work on. As counseling progresses, your goals may evolve or change.

Individual counseling works best when you: (a) have some idea of what you would like to talk about; (b) feel motivated to do so; and (c) feel comfortable enough with your therapist to address your concerns. For those reasons, it is often helpful to think about what you would like to discuss during a counseling session and to spend time between sessions reflecting on your feelings and behaviors. Additionally, be sure to raise with your therapist any feelings or concerns germane to the counseling process.