When you call the Counseling Center for an appointment you will be given the first available appointment that works within your schedule. If you feel you need to be seen immediately tell the person who answers your call and every effort will be made to see you as soon as possible.
You should plan on arriving about 10-15 minutes early for your first appointment. You'll check in at the reception desk, and our office manager or one of our student workers* will give you some paper work to fill out, which will include your personal contact information, some questions about any symptoms you may be experiencing and the specific issues that have brought you to the Counseling Center. Only your counselor will see the information pertaining to your concerns, and will use this information as a tool to begin to assess your situation and determine the services that would be of most benefit to you.
Your counselor will come into the reception area, greet you, and you will proceed to their private office. During the first session they will explain the counseling process to you, and talk to you about the confidentiality of your visits. Your counselor will explain that visits are free to enrolled BSU students, private and confidential. They will tell you about their credentials and let you know that the services you receive will be tailored to your individual needs. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions you have about the counseling process, your rights as a client or any of our services.
Your counselor will then begin the process of assessing your situation and your needs by asking you some questions about your background, your concerns, what brought you to decide to make an appointment, and what your hopes and goals are for counseling. Throughout the visit you will be given the opportunity to discuss any issues that are of importance to you. This will be the time for you and your counselor to decide on the services that will be of most use to you. Some students find that one session is all they need to get a handle on things. Others decide, along with their counselor, that additional individual counseling sessions would be helpful. In some circumstances your counselor may provide you with a referral to seek group counseling in our Center or services within the greater community that we do not provide.
If you decide to continue with counseling, your counselor will schedule the next appointment for you in their office. Appointments last 50 minutes and may be scheduled as often as once per week, depending on your needs. Typically, students are initially scheduled once per week and then every other week for the rest of the semester.
*The Counseling Center does employ students. Student employees do not have access to client records and are required to be confidential and professional on all matters relating to the Counseling Center. Confidential records are handled only by professional staff.
The Counseling Center is staffed with trained mental health professionals with licensure and extensive experience in psychology, clinical social work and counseling. Supervised doctoral and master level interns also provide quality counseling and other services. Personal styles as well as counseling styles vary from counselor to counselor. However there are several things you can expect no matter who your counselor may be.
You can expect your counselor to:
