About

Your counselor will work with you on the issues of concern that have led you to seek counseling.  These may include psychological symptoms and life circumstances that cause distress and difficulty in important areas of your life such as work or education, interpersonal relationships, and identity.  The purpose of counseling is to identify ways you can improve your life and decrease symptoms.  However, the process of talking about events, feelings, or thoughts can be uncomfortable at times.  Your counselor will help you monitor your discomfort so that it is manageable, and your feedback is essential in this process.

In your first two sessions together, you and your counselor will identify the focus for the counseling and the goals you will work on together.  They will help you to develop an understanding of the underlying reasons for the current issues in your life and may suggest some specific strategies for handling these situations.  Your counselor will draw from different theoretical perspectives to individualize an approach that is likely to be effective to help you reach your goals.  

After you and your counselor agree on your goals, you will meet for up to eight sessions, then evaluate the progress you have made and decide whether to continue.  The counseling services are intended to be short-term to address specific goals, although you and your counselor may meet for the academic year by mutual agreement. If your counselor believes another service or provider would be more effective to help you reach your goals, they will make that recommendation and help you identify an appropriate resource.  If you feel dissatisfied at any time with your counseling, please talk with your counselor to decide on the best course of action. 

Your counselor will generally recommend meeting once a week.  If meeting more or less often is more appropriate, they will talk with you about that.  Sessions are 50 minutes in length, and start and end on time.  This means that your session will be shortened if you aren’t able to come on time.

In order to receive the maximum benefit from counseling, it is important to attend sessions regularly.  If you need to cancel, we request that you provide notice to your counselor by 9 am on the day of your appointment.  If you miss more than three appointments without providing notice by 9 am that day, we will discontinue counseling services for the remainder of the semester.  You will be eligible to return to counseling the following semester if you are still enrolled at Dominican.

University Counseling Services follows the Dominican academic calendar, and appointments are generally not scheduled on academic holidays, spring break or semester breaks.  Your counselor will talk with you about resources that are available to you at these times, if needed. 

University Counseling Services maintains confidentiality of all aspects of your counseling and written records of your services.  Your written permission is required before any information is released by your counselor or anyone working for University Counseling Services, unless one of the exceptions below applies.  

• If your counselor believes you are a danger to yourself or someone else, they will encourage you to seek help voluntarily to insure the safety of yourself and others.  If you are unable or unwilling to do so, they will contact local law enforcement and warn any identifiable victim. Your counselor or the director may also contact staff on the CARE team at Dominican to coordinate support at the university that may be helpful to you. 

• If you give information to your counselor that indicates a minor child, an adult over 65 or a dependent adult is in danger due to abuse or neglect, they must report this to local authorities for investigation. If you let your counselor know you have engaged in preparing, selling, accessing, streaming, downloading, viewing, and/or distributing material of a minor child (i.e., person under age 18) engaged in “obscene” sexual acts, including modeling the act or posing for a video, painting, or drawing of an obscene act, including “sexting”, they must report this to local authorities for investigation.

• If a judge orders testimony in a legal case involving you and your emotional condition, your counselor must comply.

• If your counselor needs to coordinate your care with another health care provider about an urgent matter, they may contact that provider before getting your written permission.  They will ask for your written permission at the next session. If the Dominican CARE team or a member of the Athletics staff (for student-athletes only) raises a concern about your behavior, your counselor or the University Counseling Services director may confirm that you are receiving counseling services.  No other information will be shared without your written permission.  

In addition, your counselor will review their work with a University Counseling Services supervisor, as part of their training.  The supervisor will maintain confidentiality with the same exceptions noted above.   

Eligibility for University Counseling Services is based on current student enrollment at Dominican University of California.  If your status changes, please inform your counselor and they will help you locate alternative resources off campus.