Frequently Asked Questions

Counseling—or psychotherapy—is a professional relationship with a therapist to help you with personal growth. The counseling relationship differs from both social friendships and traditional patient-doctor relationships. Rather than giving you specific advice, counselors serve as skilled listeners who help you clarify issues, discover wishes and explore feelings, and provide information which can help you deal more effectively with your problems.

A counselor doesn’t solve your problems for you. Rather, he or she helps you clarify issues so you can solve problems on your own. The goal of counseling is to make you more self-sufficient, not more dependent.

Students currently enrolled in credit courses for the current semester are eligible for counseling. The costs are included in student’s health services fee.

Counseling sessions vary for each student as the need for counseling is different for each student — the student and therapist can determine what is the best treatment plan. At this time, students are eligible for six sessions per academic semester.

Each student and each student situation is treated with compassion and respect in UAS Counseling Services. Individual counseling does not involve a mediation process.

Because we know that resolving issues requires your commitment, we ask that you keep all of the appointments you schedule. If it is not possible for you to keep an appointment, please call to cancel, preferably 24 hours in advance of your appointment. Someone else may be able to take that time. Your most important responsibility is to take the steps necessary to keep yourself healthy emotionally, as well as physically. Taking the first step to seek services may be difficult for you, but it may change your life in a most positive way!

Counseling often may be uncomfortable because you are addressing emotions, feelings, and self-awareness issues that aren’t always easy to hear or feel. Facing your feelings and emotions in order to learn how to deal with them so they are no longer presenting problems for you is often an intense and difficult thing to do. Having the support of a counselor is important and helps in working through difficult areas.

Nothing could be further from the truth. It takes courage to acknowledge a problem or difficulty. Entering counseling is an important first step in resolving the problem.

Although counseling can be beneficial for people who do have serious emotional problems, it is also helpful for people with everyday concerns such as adjustment or phase of life issues.

By the time many people come to counseling, they have had more advice than they can handle. Counseling operates from the premise that the counselor is knowledgeable about the change process, but that you are the expert on your life. In some ways counseling is like working with a coach. You do the work, but by working with someone who has training and experience with facilitating positive change, you are likely to work more effectively and see results more quickly.

Most of us do not think that we have to experience a heart attack before we can see a doctor; it is OK to go if we merely have a sprained ankle. The same applies to counseling - you don't have to have the emotional equivalent of a heart attack to see a counselor. By working with a counselor you can often get back on track much faster and save yourself a lot of unnecessary distress.

Mental health professionals must maintain confidentiality except as authorized or required by law. Exceptions to confidentiality include: situations wherein you are a physical threat to someone else or yourself; there is suspected harm being done to a child, elder adult or disabled individual; a judge provides a court order requiring that we release your records. You will, of course, be notified if your counselor is required to share information in any of these instances. Please feel free to ask your counselor about confidentiality laws.