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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. When should I seek personal counseling services? There are many situations that cause emotional stress that may interfere with your ability to perform at your best while you are studying here at FAU. These may include a death in the family, relationship difficulties, alcohol or drug abuse, a physical illness, sexuality issues, depression, anxiety, family difficulties, study problems, eating concerns or other challenges. In short, anything that gets in the way of you getting the most out of your experience at FAU or your life in general may be explored in counseling.
2. Sometimes you need to talk with someone who can help. How can you tell if it's time to ask for help?
"I have tried everything I know and things keep getting worse. I am not sleeping well, my relationships are suffering, and I am not going to class regularly."
3. How does counseling work? The Counseling Center works under a short term therapy model and we find that most of our clients feel their needs have been met within about 8-9 sessions. If, during our intake process, we agree that your needs would be better met by extended therapy or by another type of therapy that we do not offer, we will assist you in finding a therapist in the community that can meet your needs. "My counselor helped me to understand and deal with my feelings and thoughts more effectively...Life is slowly getting back in balance for me."
4. What about confidentiality? Your privacy is important to you. Your counselor will not disclose any information about you to others without your written permission except as required by law. That means that your family, professors, administrators, or classmates do not have any access to what you discuss in counseling. However, sometimes you may decide to sign a release of information for the purpose of coordinating your care with specific individuals. Any counseling records kept will be separate from all records kept by the University. To assure the privacy of client information, our counselors do not use e-mail to discuss clinical or personal information. We use it solely for scheduling and only with their permission to do so.
5. Is there personal counseling available to FAU students on campus? As a registered student at FAU you can receive free personal counseling sessions at the FAU Counseling Center. Appointments usually last approximately 50 minutes. Counseling services are for currently enrolled FAU students on any campus. Faculty and staff are not eligible for counseling services in the center and should seek assistance through the EAP - Employee Assistance Program. EAP Website Horizon Behavioral Health (1-800-865-3200) Login ID: Florida Atlantic University Password: EAP or through your health insurance coverage.
Boca Raton Campus
Office Hours:
Phone: (561) 799-8678 Extended hours on Thursday until 7PM
6. What can I expect during my first visit to The Center? Please call in advance to make an appointment for an intake. Upon arrival to your appointment, you will be given a form to help us know what kind of an appointment is best for you and then possibly an intake packet to fill out with a brief electronic questionnaire. A clinician will meet with you for about 30 minutes to better understand your needs. Together, you will make a decision about what might be most helpful in meeting those needs. Please see “services” tab for details about those potential options.
7. How do I cancel or reschedule an appointment? Call at least 24 hours before the appointment to cancel and/or reschedule the appointment so that others can use that appointment time. Effective July 15, 2009, currently enrolled FAU Students initiating counseling services are eligible to receive 12 counseling sessions per calendar year. Students that were receiving counseling services as of July 15, 2009, will discuss with their counselor their remaining number of sessions. Students who exhaust their 12 sessions, will work with their counselor to determine their current needs and explore other services both in and outside of The Counseling Center. Please know, that any student in need of crisis counseling services will not be turned away due to session limitation policies.
Empowering You for Life |
