Introduction to Counseling
With the help of an experienced counselor Vassar life can be less stressful. Your counselor's detached, judicious observations can help lessen the tension and allow you to enjoy the Vassar experience while also achieving emotional growth. Counseling is an interactive process in which both client and counselor participate. It is hard work where the benefit outweighs the risk. To benefit from this process it is necessary to be consistent with appointments and to try as much as possible to deal with the difficulties at hand. In return the counselor will give you considered opinions and guidance. This is how trust is built.
It will probably take one or two sessions to understand your priorities, to match you with the right counselor, or with the most appropriate counseling modality. As time passes both counselor and client probe events that illuminate the issues and may involve recalling unpleasant aspects of your personal history. By confronting the discomfort you can work towards a resolution and move forward. The counseling process is not a linear development. Every new session may bring doubts and new concerns. By working together, counselor and client can monitor whether counseling is helping. If your level of discomfort is not lessened after some time of working with your assigned counselor let your counselor know. Your counselor will work with you so that the process can easily proceed with someone else, whether at the Counseling Service or in the Poughkeepsie community.
The experience of counseling varies depending on the counselor, the client, and the particular concerns that the client brings. There are a number of different approaches that may be used to address your concerns. In general, the process involves you speaking about your issues openly and honestly, while your counselor listens, asks you questions, and works with you to address your concerns. You should expect to be able to discuss with your counselor any issue you have, whether about the problems you bring or about the process of counseling itself.
Counseling has both benefits and risks. Risks sometimes include experiencing uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. Counseling may involve recalling unpleasant aspects of your personal history. In addition, counseling may result in your choosing to make changes in your current relationships. The benefits that can result from engaging in this process include a significant reduction of feelings of distress, improved relationships, resolution of specific problems, increased self-esteem and self-awareness. Although there are no guaranteed outcomes, most students who use our services find that the benefits outweigh the risks.
In one or two sessions, your counselor should be able to offer you some initial impressions of what the work will include and what the process will be. You should use your own judgment to assess your level of comfort working with your counselor. If you have any questions or doubts, you should try to discuss them whenever they arise. If your doubts persist, your counselor will be able to refer you to another counselor at the Counseling Service or in the Poughkeepsie community.
TopConfidentiality and Professional Records
Students who seek counseling often have questions about the confidentiality of counseling services and professional records. The Counseling Service keeps records as regulated by the New York State Mental Health Code. Maintenance of records is in accordance with professional, legal, and ethical guidelines. Other than authorized VCCS staff, no one will have access to those records unless you release them in writing. They will not become part of your academic file, and even the fact that you have come to the Counseling Service will not be divulged to anyone without your permission. You have the right to have access to your treatment records. Because these records contain information that can be misinterpreted by someone who is not a mental health professional, the policy of the VCCS is to have your counselor review your records with you. If your counselor is no longer at the VCCS when you request your records, another counselor will be available to review them with you. We are willing to release your records to another mental health professional with your written permission.
An exception to confidentiality would be a situation in which you are assessed to be a danger to yourself or others, your records were subpoenaed, or in reporting abuse (e.g., of abuse or neglect to a minor) as required by law. In these cases, you would be informed if possible and no more information than necessary would be released.
There may be times when you and your counselor decide that it would be beneficial for your counselor to communicate with a person outside the Counseling Service. In such instances, the counselor will do so only after you have given permission. A Release of Information Form is used for written permission.
TopStaff
The staff of the Counseling Service consists of experienced counselors. Your counselor consults with supervisors and colleagues to provide you with the highest quality services possible. Data are compiled on VCCS activities, and from time to time VCCS staff members make presentations and write articles as part of their work in a college academic and research setting. In these instances, specific identifying information is absent and case material is disguised. All supervision is conducted in a confidential manner, with the purpose of being able to provide you with the highest quality of service.
For more information, please visit the staff page.
TopMeetings
Counseling sessions are often scheduled for once per week, and may last 45-50 minutes, though you and your counselor may decide that it is appropriate to meet more or less often. Generally, psychotherapy at the Counseling service is relatively short-term, proceeding on the basis of weeks and months rather than years.
In the interest of accommodating a maximum number of clients, initial appointments are made on a first come, first served basis with special consideration for urgent requests. Subsequent appointments will be offered as available, according to the treatment plan arrived at between therapist and client. Depending upon demand, it is possible that there will be waiting periods before clients can be seen in successive sessions. In a limited number of cases clients will attend sessions at regularly scheduled weekly appointments. Weekly appointments are subject to therapists' available time in conjunction with considerations of clinical necessity.
It is important for you to arrive to your appointments on time, and call in advance, preferably 24 hours in advance, if you cannot attend a session. If you miss a session without notifying us, we cannot guarantee you the same day/time for subsequent appointments. If you are thinking of ending your counseling, we suggest that you discuss your decision with your counselor before you stop. Your counselor can help identify possible future options.
Because we are a no-fee agency with limited staff resources, we have to place some restrictions on the amount of services we can offer. Although we do not limit the number of sessions a student can have, we emphasize a short-term counseling focus. If you require services beyond the scope of what we can provide, we will refer you to other resources within the community. Much of our focus is on helping reach educational goals and working to remove blocks to that process.
TopPsychiatric Services
A consulting psychiatrist is affiliated with the VCCS. It is the policy of the VCCS that any student who wishes to see our consulting psychiatrist must be a client in on going counseling at the VCCS, up to the limits of the services we can provide. Generally, students who consult with the psychiatrist will be limited to four visits per academic year.
Our psychiatrist provides the following services: 1) psychiatric consultation; 2) evaluation for psychotropic medications; 3) monitoring of the use of medications prescribed from the above. The following services are not provided: 1) emergency psychiatric evaluations; 2) emergency prescription services; 3) evaluation for disability accommodations. Should you need services not available at Metcalf, your counselor can provide a referral to off-campus resources. Emergency psychiatric services are available 24 hours/day at Saint Francis Hospital, Emergency Psychiatric Services, 431-8892.
For more information, please visit the services page.
TopGetting Help Between Sessions
The Counseling Center is open during the academic year Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. If you need to speak to a counselor before a scheduled session, you can leave a message during these hours. If it is urgent, please let the front office staff know. If we cannot contact your counselor immediately, another counselor will be available to speak to you. After hours and on weekends a counselor is on-call to respond to urgent calls. The counselor on-call may be contacted through the Campus Response Center (CRC) at 437-7333. The Dispatcher will contact an on-call counselor who will return your call. Callers utilizing the CRC should note that such calls are routinely logged as part of the CRC's emergency service, and are, thus, inherently not private to the same degree as calls placed directly to the Counseling Service.
TopEthics Code and Guidelines
The counseling staff follows the Standards of Professional Conduct of the American Psychological Association. These guidelines are available to you upon request at the front desk.
The Vassar College Counseling Services does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race or ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, or ability/disability.
The staff of the Counseling Service pledge to uphold legal and ethical codes and institutional requirements. Our focus is on the value and dignity of each student, and our dedication to facilitating a thriving campus community.
We hope that you have a helpful and positive experience at the Counseling Center. If you ever have any questions, concerns, complaints, or feedback of any kind, we invite you to speak to your counselor or to contact Sylvia R. Balderrama, Ed.D., Director of Psychological Services, at 437-5700. You may also contact the Dean of Students (437-5315).