Eligibility for Services
Confidentiality
Cost
Appointment duration
Appointment limit
Summer services
Staff qualifications
How it works
Does it help?
Maximizing benefits
Off-campus referrals
Waiting list
Group Counseling
Training Opportunities (Post Doc)
Who is eligible to receive counseling services at C&HS?
All Hamline students are eligible to receive counseling
services. For couples counseling,
non-student partners are eligible to participate in the company of a registered
Hamline student.
Is counseling confidential?
All counseling information (including the fact that a
student has been seen by a counselor) is considered private information under
the Minnesota State Privacy Act and laws covering privileged communication
between a client and a therapist. Neither parents nor university employees have
access to information about your participation in counseling, unless you
specifically request (in writing) that your counselor share this information.
Is there a cost to see a counselor?
Counseling services are free to Hamline University
undergraduate students. (Costs are
covered in tuition fees.) Graduate
students may pay a per-semester fee for access to counseling services.
How long is a counseling appointment?
Counseling appointments are scheduled for either 50 minutes (full-session) or 25 minutes (half-session).
How many counseling appointments am I allowed to have?
In the interest of providing access to as many students as
possible, we operate with a limit of 10 hours of individual counseling per client per academic year. (This 10 hours can be a combination of full- or half-sessions.) If you are concerned that 10 hours may be insufficient to meet your needs, C&HS staff will work with you to determine whether you will be best served through on-campus counseling, or by referral to a provider in the local community. (Although students do have the option to petition for a temporary extension beyond the 10-hour limit, our ability to honor such requests depends in part on whether other students are waiting to access services.)
Is counseling available during the summer?
From late-May through mid-August, C&HS maintains limited hours of operation and counseling services.
Students interested in participating in summer counseling should call the office for information about counselor availability.
What are the qualifications of the counseling staff at C&HS?
Counseling at Hamline is provided by individuals who have
completed a doctorate in counseling or
clinical psychology from a graduate program accredited by the American
Psychological Association. Each member
of the permanent counseling staff is a Minnesota state-licensed
psychologist. All counseling services at
C&HS are offered under the oversight of the Director of Counseling, Hussein
Rajput, PhD, LP.
How does counseling work?
Counseling is different for each person. In general, when you meet with a counselor
for the first time, you can expect to discuss your concerns in detail. Your counselor will want to understand how
the problem began, and how it affects your daily life. You and your counselor may agree that just
“venting” was sufficiently helpful, or you may jointly decide on a plan for
dealing with your concerns on an ongoing basis.
This could involve continued discussion and exploration of the nature of
the problem, as well as specific strategies to address it. For example, your counselor might ask you to
record when and where a problem seems to recur, and might help you with targeted
skill-building exercises, such as relaxation training.
Does counseling really help?
Yes. Research studies
with large national samples have shown that most people who use counseling find
it helpful. The vast majority of
students surveyed at Hamline also report that their problems were improved or
resolved as a result of their participation in counseling, and that they would
recommend counseling to a friend. Not
surprisingly, the amount that you will benefit depends on how much effort you
are willing to put into the process.
What can I do to get the most out of counseling?
- Attend all your scheduled appointments. (If you are not able to attend a given
appointment, please provide C&HS as much advanced notice as possible.)
- Come to
each counseling session with some ideas of what you want to focus on. Be honest about your feelings, thoughts, and
experiences.
- Work with
your counselor to develop your counseling goals, discuss your progress towards
these goals, and modify them as needed.
- Complete
any “homework” planned by you and your counselor. Let your
counselor know if you feel you are not being helped, so that he or she can help
you figure out alternative strategies for addressing your concerns.
Can C&HS provide off-campus referrals for counseling services?
Yes. We maintain a
detailed list of community mental health providers with offices close to
campus. The counseling staff can also assist with professional referrals for concerns that are beyond the scope of treatment offered on campus and that may require specialized or extended care (such as chemical dependency or severely disordered eating).
I’ve heard about a wait list. What does that mean?
During times of peak demand for services, students sometimes
have to wait to access on-going counseling appointments. The average time spent on the waiting list is
1-2 weeks. However, wait times may
extend longer if you are seeking to meet with only one particular member of the
staff. While a student is on the wait
list, crisis counseling is still available during weekday crisis hours. Alternatively, students who prefer to access
community resources can schedule a one-time consultation/referral appointment.
Group Counseling
In addition to individual counseling services, C&HS
offers a variety of counseling groups.
For more information about current group offerings, contact us at
counselinghealth@hamline.edu.
Training Opportunities
C&HS offers a post-doctoral fellowship for graduate
students in counseling or clinical psychology.
Undergraduate students interested in gaining experience related to
health and well-being may be interested in the Hamline Peer Education Program.