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What to Expect from Counseling
Preparing for Your Initial Visit
When you call the UCC, the receptionist will offer you the first available appointment that matches your schedule. This appointment will usually be within a few days of your call. If you are in need of immediate help, please tell the receptionist and she will connect you with the counselor-on-call. Students needing immediate appointments will be seen ASAP. Initial appointments are approximately 55 minutes, which doesn't include time for completion of paperwork. It is essential to show up on time. If you are significantly late, you will have to reschedule your appointment.
While some of the paperwork must be completed at UCC, you have the option of expediting the process by completing four of our forms prior to your session. You can download these forms from this site by clicking on "forms" below. Please bring all four forms with you to your initial session. If you prefer to fill out all forms at the UCC, they will be given to you when you arrive.
Forms
What to Expect from Counseling
When you arrive for your appointment, give your completed forms to the receptionist and she will give you one remaining form to fill out. If you haven't completed any paperwork, all forms will be given to you at this time.
Visit our Essential Information page to learn more about our location, directions, hours, fees, cancellation policy, eligibility for services, and confidentiality of services.
After you have completed the paperwork, you will proceed to the counselor's office with whom you will speak. The counselor may ask to tape record the session. These audiotapes are confidential and will be erased within 1-2 weeks. Although a few students are concerned they will feel self-conscious, most students subsequently report they forgot the recorder was even there. Any concerns about taping can be discussed with your counselor.
If you and your counselor decide on individual counseling at the UCC, you will be assigned to a staff counselor. Your assignment will be based on compatible schedules and any preferences you may have. The UCC will make an effort to accommodate your preferences or to discuss options with you. You should receive a call from your assigned counselor within a week of your initial interview. In order to maintain confidentiality, your assigned counselor will simply leave their name and number on your answering machine without stating that they are calling from the UCC. To ensure that you begin counseling as soon as possible, it is best to return calls during business hours. If you would prefer the counselor to contact you in another way, indicate this in your initial interview.
If you are considering group therapy, a screening appointment will be arranged with the counselor who leads the group. This is an opportunity for you to meet the group counselor, to learn more about the group, and to decide if it is the right 'fit' for you.
If you and your counselor determine that our time-limited counseling services are not appropriate for you, your counselor will discuss alternative counseling options that you can pursue in the community.
Getting Started in Counseling
Typically, you will meet with your counselor for a 50-minute session each week. You and your counselor will decide whether to set a regular "standing" appointment day and time or whether the appointment will vary from week to week. Your appointment will generally begin "on the hour," between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and end at 10 minutes before the next hour. Early on, you will work with the counselor to set goals and approximate number of sessions. Most people find that 5 to 6 sessions are adequate to address their concerns. If you have any questions or concerns about the counseling process itself (e.g., feeling "stuck" or lacking direction), your counselor will be pleased to discuss them with you.
At first, you may feel a little nervous about counseling, but this usually fades as your counselor helps you talk about your concerns. There is likely to be some balance between talking about your present-dayexperiences and adjustments, and discussing the roots of your concerns in your family or experiences growing up. The more you share your thoughts and feelings about yourself and your problems in counseling, the more you are likely to benefit. Your counselor will help create a safe place for you to explore alternative points of view and to understand connections between different aspects of your experiences. The exact focus and balance of your counseling experience will depend on the issues you bring into therapy, your counselor's perspective, and the goals you set for your work together.
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