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Common In Counseling Questions

The following information has been compiled for students who currently in counseling at University Counseling Services (UCS). Below are common questions that we have received from current clients about counseling and UCS. Some of these may not be relevant or of interest to you but we wanted to provide you with as much information as possible to make you more comfortable with UCS and counseling.

How long should I stay in counseling?

Although the actual time frame will be determined by you and your counselor, typically counseling is complete when you believe you have addressed your concerns so that they are no longer a problem for you and/or you have established effective coping skills to manage your symptoms. This may take one session or it may require continuing with counseling until the end of the school year. It is worth noting that the average client at UCS during 2006-07 met for 5.17 sessions (not including the intake) and almost 80% of our clients met for 10 sessions or less.

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What should I do if I can’t attend my scheduled appointment time?

If you know in advance that you will need to miss a session, please discuss this with your counselor. You may be able to reschedule your appointment for a different day/time, depending on schedule availability. In the event that you are sick, please call (660-785-4014) or e-mail UCS (ucs@truman.edu) to notify us of your absence. Due to high demand, UCS has an attendance policy that requires you to attend your appointments on a regular basis for the most effective treatment.

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What if I am in crisis and want to talk to my counselor?

If it is after regular business hours, you may call the Police Dispatcher at 660-665-5621 and ask to speak with the counselor on-call. If it is during regular business hours, call UCS and let us know that you are in crisis and that you would like to speak with your counselor. If possible, an appointment will be scheduled for you sometime that day. Because your call was not a scheduled appointment, please be prepared to speak with a counselor from UCS who may not be your ongoing counselor.

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Can I switch counselors if I believe that I am not making progress or am not connecting to my counselor?

Yes. If you are assigned to work with someone with whom you feel uncomfortable or do not like, the first thing we suggest for you is to discuss it with your counselor directly. All of the counselors at UCS are very comfortable with this type of discussion and understand that the main focus of our work is to help you achieve your goals. If we are interfering with this progress, we don’t mind stepping aside and letting you work with someone else. Most of the time we find that the discomfort you are experiencing can be resolved by having thoughtful conversations in session and trying different things. If this does not work, please contact UCS and let us know you want to switch. We will schedule a time for you to speak with the Director or Assistant Director to help us determine why the switch is in your best interest and to make sure that we are able to assign you with another counselor who will best match up with your needs.

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How do I know if my counselor is a good/effective counselor?

Every counselor has his/her own style of counseling which is developed from his/her counseling theoretical philosophy. A counselor’s job is to help you learn how to help yourself. Therefore, you should be able to talk and work through solutions that will be helpful for you. If you are not accomplishing your goals, it may mean that your counselor’s style may not be a good fit for you or it could mean that you are struggling with how to apply what you’re talking about in counseling sessions to your everyday life. Speak with your counselor if you believe this is the situation for you.

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What can I do if I believe that my counselor has been unprofessional or disrespectful?

We recommend that you bring this up with your counselor and address your concerns regarding what you experienced. If you believe this is not possible or you did not get effective results, you are encouraged to speak with the Director of UCS.

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Why do I feel worse after some of my counseling sessions?

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.

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What does it mean when my counselor recommends switching from individual counseling to group counseling?

There are times when a counselor may believe your presenting concerns may be better addressed in a group therapy environment. This is not an indication that your counselor doesn’t like you or doesn’t want to work with you anymore. It just means that your counselor believes that you have accomplished all you can in individual counseling and that group counseling may be an effective way to continue working on your goals.

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What if a friend of mine wants to work with my counselor too?

UCS tries to avoid assigning a counselor to work with clients who are close friends or significant others due to the dual relationships that would be created. In the counseling profession, we are ethically obligated to avoid dual relationships to maintain our impartiality.

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What does it mean if I came for couples counseling and my counselor recommends that we work in individual counseling?

There are times when your counselor may observe individual issues that would be more effective for you or your partner to work on apart from couples counseling. Typically, if this is the recommendation, couples counseling will cease until the individual concerns have been addressed and the focus can be on the relationship. Once this has been established, couples counseling may resume if needed.

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Can I invite my counselor to one of my extra-curricular activities?

This is a complex issue. While we as counselors care about our clients, we need to maintain our professional boundaries to allow us to be impartial. That being said, it will depend on the event and the benefit of your counselor’s presence. If you believe that having your counselor attend a non-academic event would be therapeutically beneficial, you and your counselor should discuss this in session. If it is determined that it is therapeutically beneficial, you and your counselor will come to an agreement on how this will be beneficial and how you will interact at this event.

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Can my counselor write a letter to the Academic Standards Committee and/or Financial Aid office?

Yes. We have found that these committees respond more favorably to our letters when the client had sought counseling before his/her academic problems occur. If this is something you are seeking, please speak with your counselor about the benefits and potential concerns involved.

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