Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Counseling Services
1. What can I expect when I come to see a counselor?
When you visit the counseling department, you can expect the counselor to listen to your concerns, to help you articulate and understand your concerns, and to assist you in developing and implementing a plan to address your concerns. You can expect the counselor to take your concerns seriously and to discuss those concerns appropriately.
2. Is counseling confidential or a part of my academic records?
Counseling records are confidential and separate from academic records. However, if an individual is a threat or harm to him/herself or others counselors have a duty to warn. In that case counseling information may be shared without the individuals permission and then only to the extent necessary to protect the individual or other persons.
3. What kinds of concerns do students discuss with a counselor?
Any personal, professional, or academic issue can be discussed with a counselor. Typical concerns are:
Academic adjustment, grades, and student’s grade point average
Relationships (social, academic, or professional)
Stress, time management, or conflict resolution issues
Anxiety, depression, grief, or anger concerns
Difficulty with alcohol, other substances, or food
Sexual, physical, and emotional abuse
Traumatic experiences
Emergency (personal or professional) crisis
4. Do counselors address severe psychiatric issues?
Counselors refer students to professionals with the experience and credentials to provide those services.
5. Is there a fee for counseling services?
Enrolled students are not charged a fee for counseling services
6. Do you have information that students obtain for personal or academic use?
Counseling services maintain self-help pamphlets that students may use as resources on a range of topics. Information regarding stress, time management, exam strategies, anger management, conflict resolution, building self-esteem, and many other subjects are available to students at no cost.
7. How will counseling help me?
Students have said that counseling help them to improve their ability to study, take test, increase their grade point average, solve problems, to identify and recognize diverse options, and to handle concerns more effectively.