For many students, the first contact with the Counseling Center comes through an initial consultation. To schedule this appointment, please call us at 312-996-3490. On the day of your scheduled appointment, you will call this number again in order to access our initial paperwork. Once you submit your completed paperwork, our receptionist will alert your initial consultation counselor, who will send you link to a secure online video platform (Zoom PHI, etc.). At the time of your appointment, your counselor will connect with you using the chosen online platform. This conversation typically lasts for for 30-45 minutes; be sure to have a safe, private space for this conversation and for any future therapy appointments. You can expect to talk about what concerns bring you to the Counseling Center and to answer some questions about your history. Some students find that talking with a counselor once is sufficient to resolve the immediate concern. If further services would be beneficial, your counselor will then make a recommendation. For example, your counselor may think you are a good fit for the brief individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatry services, and/or themed workshops we offer at the Counseling Center. Your counselor may also recommend other services on campus or perhaps specialized or longer-term counseling in the community instead of services at the Counseling Center. Click here for more information about our scope of services.

For students who are less interested in a comprehensive interview and referral for ongoing counseling services, we are offering Single Session Appointments. If you are looking for a brief, one-time consultation with a counselor, one of these services could be right for you.

If your initial consultation counselor recommends brief individual or relationship therapy at the Counseling Center, you will receive an email after your initial consultation with your assigned counselor’s contact information. You can then reach out to that counselor to set up a first appointment and to determine whether you will meet using  an online video platform (which is our standard practice at this time) or phone. You and your counselor will also work together to identify your goals for therapy and determine the frequency of sessions. Similar to in-person sessions, remote sessions tend to last 45-50 minutes.

If your initial consultation counselor recommends group therapy at the Counseling Center, you will receive an email after your initial consultation with contact information for your group co-facilitators; you will have the chance to meet with them to talk more about group and whether it feels like the right fit for you. Most of the groups at the Counseling Center have been able to continue using online video platforms, including our interpersonal process groups, as well as more structured, skills-based groups. These weekly meetings tend to last anywhere from 60-90 minutes and usually include 5-8 members. Interpersonal process groups remain our treatment of choice for students presenting with relationship concerns, and our group therapy calendar is currently up to date. Our peer-led support groups are also running remotely. To participate in a remote group, please have a private space and access to online video platforms (as phone tends to be a difficult medium for groups).

The Counseling Center continues to offer psychiatry services, using online video (preferred) or phone formats. Psychiatry services remain limited to students who are individual therapy clients at the Counseling Center. For more information about the scope of our psychiatry services, read here.

As is always the case, we strongly encourage any student experiencing a mental health crisis to reach out for help. If you call the Counseling Center at 312-996-3490 during our 8:30-5 business hours, Monday through Friday, our receptionist will ask you a few questions and connect you to a counselor. If you call us before or after business hours, just press option “2” on the automated menu, and you will be connected to a crisis counselor. We also provide a list of additional recommended crisis resources on and off campus; this has been updated to reflect current availability during COVID-19.

The Counseling Center is continuing to offer remote outreach services and a variety of remote workshops, including our popular mindfulness workshops and self-compassion workshops. Campus departments are still more than welcome to contact their Counseling Center liaisons with questions or requests, and faculty and staff who have concerns about a student may still call our office during business hours to consult about how to support students in distress.