What to expect at your appointment 

A student’s first session at the Counseling Center is called an intake session. The first thing you will be asked to do is to complete an intake form. This form will have contact information, questions about your background and your current concerns. This takes about 15-20 minutes so please arrive early for your intake appointment.

During your meeting with a member of the Counseling Center staff, you will have a chance to describe why you are seeking counseling and why you have chosen this particular time to do so. The counselor will explain and answer your questions about the therapeutic process. He or she will ask for information about your present situation, your family background, general health and self care, and important relationships in your life. You may be asked to discuss past experiences with this or similar problems and how you have tried to solve them.

At the end of the intake session, you and the counselor will have identified some of the issues you want to work on and will consider a few options:

• to make another appointment with the same therapist to talk further, set counseling goals, and plan how to work together;
• to refer you to another therapist in the center or off campus, who specializes in the issues that concern you;
• to suggest other action that might improve your situation, such as attending workshops or groups;
• to refer you to another office on campus that might be useful to you;
• to suggest participation in a counseling or support group offered that semester.

Occasionally, students find that an initial consultation with a counselor meets their needs and they need no further services.