Individual therapy is a collaborative process which involves the development of a unique, confidential helping relationship.

In this relationship, the counselor acts as a facilitator to help you to better understand yourself and the world you live in. Clients are helped to understand feelings and behaviors, relationships with others, and their choices and decisions. Discussing these important concerns enables clients to grow towards greater freedom in making good choices and taking responsible action in their relationships, family, and studies.

Eligibility

Full-time CUA students may be eligible to be seen for up to 15 consecutive weekly appointments an academic year, up to a lifetime limit of 60 total individual therapy appointments. During the main academic year, students must be enrolled at the university during the semester they are being seen for counseling. Over the summer, students must be enrolled for the following fall semester. Part-time students are not eligible for ongoing individual therapy services.

Scope of Service

Our individual therapy services are best suited for students whose concerns can be expected to resolve within a relatively short timeframe. Student needs that require open-ended, long-term, intensive, or specialized treatment are often best treated outside of our short-term outpatient setting and will often result in referrals to outside providers in the community.

Making An Appointment

To access individual therapy services, students must first schedule an intake appointment. This appointment typically lasts about 90 minutes (30-40 minutes paperwork, 50 minutes meeting with counselor). During the intake appointment, students typically share information about themselves and will be asked questions to better understand their concerns. The counselor may recommend individual therapy, group therapy, consultation with other campus offices, or off-campus services, depending on what is most appropriate for the student's needs.

If individual therapy at the Counseling Center has been recommended by the intake counselor, students will be assigned an individual counselor within three to five business days of the intake appointment. The Counseling Center front desk will contact the student to set up a regular, weekly appointment time.

To schedule an appointment during the academic year, call 202-319-5765 or come to the Counseling Center, located at 127 O'Boyle Hall. Students who have previously been in individual therapy at the Counseling Center but who have not been seen for 90 days or more will be required to complete another intake.

Attendance Policy

We provide weekly individual therapy services. Students who require more intensive services (as determined by an intake counselor) or who would like to be seen on a less frequent basis will be referred off-campus. Given high demand for services, weekly attendance is expected. Please note that no-shows and cancellations will be deducted from students' original 60 eligible individual therapy sessions.

If a client misses two consecutive sessions, the Counseling Center will no longer be able to hold that appointment time for the client, and the time will be opened to students waiting for services. If the client would still like to pursue counseling, the client must call the Counseling Center to reschedule their appointment. Continuing with the same counselor or resuming the same appointment time is not a guarantee, especially at points in the year when demand for services is very high.