Counseling Center

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Counseling/Therapy

• Individual Counseling
• Group Psychotherapy
• Couples Counseling
• Confidentiality Policy

Individual Counseling

In individual therapy, you work one-to-one with a counselor to address your concerns. Our counselors are good listeners, they can be a source of support and understanding, and they will help you explore your options and develop effective strategies to cope with your concerns.

Concerns that can be addressed in counseling include:

• Depression
• Anxiety/stress
• Low self-confidence
• Relationship difficulties (e.g. romantic, family, peer)
• Academic problems
• Concerns related to sexual orientation and identity
• Decision-making dilemma
• Eating too much or too little
• Difficulty balancing all the demands of college student life
• Grieving over the death of someone close to you
• Recovering from unwanted sexual contact or violence
• Hopelessness or suicidal thinking

The Counseling Center utilizes a short-term model for counseling, meaning that issues usually are addressed in a focused manner. Once assigned to a counselor, you and your counselor will discuss effective therapeutic goals, frequency of sessions and likely length of treatment taking into account your presenting concerns.

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Group Counseling

Group therapy is highly effective and for many presenting concerns, it can be the treatment of choice. Group therapy is offered to students who may benefit from exploring personal and interpersonal growth in a safe, supportive environment with others who may have similar experiences. Groups meet once a week, typically have 5-8 members and 1-2 trained group therapists, and do not have a session limit; however, a few groups are specifically designed to be time-limited (often for a specific semester). Students from the same major are not placed in a therapy group together in order to further promote confidentiality.

Group Therapy Room

To join a group, it is necessary to discuss with the leaders of an available group whether that specific group is likely to fit with the student's needs. A meeting with the leaders of a group, typically 30 minutes in length, can be arranged after an intake interview or through one's individual counselor.

Group can be helpful to:

• Provide an opportunity to learn more about your style of communication
• Provide an opportunity to practice direct, clear, and assertive communication
• Provide an opportunity to explore personal concerns with others who may have similar experiences in a trusting, confidential atmosphere
• Learn more about your style of approaching relationships and even try out new approaches
• Learn to recognize and share your emotional experience in real time without self-critical censorship
• Practice being emotionally available to and vulnerable with others
• Practice giving and receiving feedback in order to identify and work on how you present yourself and your impact on others

Information on Groups

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Couples Counseling

Because concerns often arise in the context of a romantic relationship, couples therapy is offered to students whose presenting concerns would best be addressed with both members of that relationship present. It is up to the student(s) what constitutes a couple and all couples are welcome to utilize this service as long as one member of the couple is currently enrolled as a UIC student.

Common Concerns Addressed in Couples Therapy:

• Enhancing the relationship
• Frequent arguing
• Difficulties with communication
• Commitment
• Infidelity
• Making difficult decisions
• Parenting
• Finances
• Working on sexual and emotional intimacy
• Adjusting to transitions (e.g., a new baby, death in the family, graduation, etc.)

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Confidentiality Policy

Matters shared with Counseling Services staff are kept private within the Counseling Center unless you give your counselor written permission to release specific information. This means, among other things, that therapy visits here are not part of your academic record nor are they a part of any medical record you may have at campus medical facilities, such as a Family Practice.

State and Federal law states that there are four exceptions to this general rule:

• You may request (by means of a signed release) that your counselor reveal information to other individuals or agencies of your choice;
• In instances where there is imminent danger of serious harm to yourself or others;
• In cases involving physical and/or sexual abuse, and/or neglect, of children or elderly adults;
• Where otherwise requested by subpoena or mandated by court order or state/federal law.

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