I want to talk with a counselor, but I don't want anyone to know. All visits to Counseling Services and conversations with staff are confidential unless you have specifically given your consent for us to share information with a particular person. Your privacy as a client is protected by state law however there are exceptions. In general, all contacts are confidential unless we determine that you are at risk of hurting yourself or another, you inform us of child abuse or elder abuse, or under rare circumstances, if a court of law orders that we provide that information. Please visit our Confidentiality link for more information about this topic.
Counseling is only for people who are.
Yes, counseling services are sometimes required by people troubled with a major mental illness, or people who are in crisis, but most of the students we meet with are struggling with the garden variety stressors of daily living and are having difficulties coping as effectively as possible. The approach we take is one of health promotion. That is, a student does not have to be in critical condition to request our services. When possible, we are happy to work with you to prevent a crisis from happening. Counseling can help you improve problem solving abilities, help you to think clearly, and assist you in developing flexible coping strategies.