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Personal Counseling
Personal Counseling
Do you envision therapy as lying on a couch discussing childhood memories to a quiet therapist who sits behind you taking notes and making you feel very concerned about everything you say for years on end? We don't!! This was true of therapy many years ago but this is not how it is done at by most therapists including those at Casper College. We would like to shatter the myths of what counseling is and make it an option for those of you who just need some assistance to achieve your goals in school, relationships and life.
In its simplest terms, therapy is a chance to discuss important issues with someone who will help you clarify what is going on, come up with new ways of looking at the situation and help you make thought-out choices. The following paragraphs start out with the question we at the Counseling & Student Development Center hear the most about counseling with the answers we give to these questions.
- How do I know if I or someone else needs counseling? Counseling makes sense when someone is having trouble coping with a stressful situation or solving a personal problem. So if you are in a lot of distress, feel overwhelmed by a problem, or feel that you keep repeating the same mistakes, and then you might consider seeking counseling. Counseling can also help you and others grow as people without having major problems and/or issues.
- What concerns do people come in with? Everyone who comes in for counseling is a unique individual with their own unique concerns. Thus, the issues that are listed below are not a complete list and may not be applicable to everyone but the list may give you some ideas on why people come in for counseling. The most common reasons people come in to the Counseling & Student Development Center is for depression, relationship concerns, stress, study skills, substance abuse, family concerns, sexual abuse, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, self-esteem, and anger management.
- How does counseling work? Counseling allows you the ability to talk to someone who will help you look objectively at your behaviors, feelings and thoughts in a confidential, non-threatening environment. Counseling is not magic. Effort and energy is required of both the counselor and client. The counselor must be willing to help you identify your goals, listen very carefully to what is being said and help the client make progress. The client must be willing to be honest with themselves, open to dealing with issues that they would not normally talk with others about and a willingness to change and take risks. What we do know, is that counseling tends to work when both the counselor and client connect and work hard to achieve the pre-determined goals.
- How long does counseling take? This is a difficult question to answer. Some people come in and feel like they have received the help that they need after one session. Some people are in counseling for a long time. Problems do not surface overnight, nor do solutions. Typically, the sooner you start to address the issues that are bringing you to counseling, the sooner you can finish with counseling.
- How do I or a friend make an appointment for personal counseling? There are two ways to do this. One is to come in to our office (Administration Building Room 112/109) and the other is to call and make an appointment (268-2366). Please ask our front office staff that you would like to make an appointment with a counselor and they will set you up with an "intake" time. Come at that set appointment time and meet with one of our counseling staff and they will help you get set up for personal therapy. That's it!!
- What should I expect when I or a friend comes in for counseling at the Casper College Counseling & Student Development Center? The first time you come into our offices for an appointment you will meet with one of the counseling staff for an "intake". An "intake" is a half-hour appointment where the "intake" counselor will get an idea of what your goals are for counseling and how we can help you best. The "intake" counselor will ask some questions about what is going on at the present time and will ask you to fill out some minor paperwork. At the end of the meeting, the "intake" counselor will talk to you about your options which may include personal therapy. If personal therapy is the option you and your "intake" counselor make, they will help you set up a first appointment for personal therapy.
- Is my information kept confidential? Yes!! No one outside of the Counseling & Student Development Center is provided any information about you. This includes parents, partners, faculty, police, administrators and friends. Ethically, we can not even acknowledge that you have ever come in for therapy to anyone else. We do share information within our office with other staff members of the Counseling & Student Development Center in a professional manner in an effort to help your therapist to better conceptualize the issues that you are facing, which in turn helps you. Some of our staff members are required to be supervised and their supervisor is required to maintain the same confidentiality that is required of your therapist.
- How much does this cost? Personal counseling is free to all Casper College students and staff. It is also free to any Casper College affiliated schools students and staff (i.e., UW/CC, UND, Franklin).
- Can you prescribe medications? No. We do make referrals out into the community but we are not licensed to prescribe medications at the Counseling & Student Development Center.
Types of Personal Therapy Available at Casper College
At the Counseling & Student Development Services office we offer three general types of personal therapy: Individual, Couples/Family, and Group.