Counseling and Psychology Services provides brief individual counseling. These services are designed to assist with the full range of psychological issues that people may encounter, including:
- relationship problems;
- family issues;
- adjustment to university life;
- stress management;
- academic problems (including procrastination);
- identity issues (regarding age, culture, sexual orientation, etc.);
- anxiety (including test-taking anxiety);
- depression (including low self-esteem);
- substance abuse; and
- eating disorders.
Benefits of Individual Counseling
Individual counseling can help you understand concerns, review the solutions you have tried, and try new coping strategies. Your therapist will gather information about different areas of your life in the initial meeting; this process will help determine which treatment approach will be most helpful. You can then develop goals for counseling with your therapist.
Goal-Focused Model
CAPS provides individual therapy using a brief goal-focused therapy. During your first few sessions, your counselor will work with you to determine what your goals for therapy are and which goals are able to be accomplished in the given time frame. How long your therapy lasts depends on discussions with your therapist about specific concerns. If your goals require longer-term therapy than we can provide, you will be given referrals to appropriate off-campus resources.
Preparing for Individual Counseling
It is important to think about what you would like to gain from individual counseling. Writing down some events, relationships, and feelings before each session may help you think about what you want to do during each meeting. Be open with your therapist about how you would like to spend the time, and share any feelings that come up for you during the counseling process.