<p>I want to know what to expect if I go to my college's counseling center. How should I act? What should I talk about? Am I going to get judged on superficial things like the way I dress? What is the counselor going to do for me? Is the counselor going to give me medications? Is the counselor going to teach me social skills and things like that?</p>
<p>Also, this is a question that's been burning in the back of my mind and I hope I don't come across as a jerk for asking it, but is it true that the people who work at college counseling centers tend to be not very competent? I wouldn't avoid my college's counseling center if it is staffed with run-of-the-mill counselors, but I also wouldn't want to rely on it entirely.</p>
<p>I’ve never been in our counseling center for actual counseling – just to speak to their outreach programs for other stuff and refer friends there, but I’ll tell you my general observations. I’m sure they differ school to school.</p>
<p>The secretary at our campus health center was horribly rude to me. (I deserved it, though, since I was being so dumb I couldn’t even find the stairs.) The secretary at the front desk was very nice but pretty condescending to me. I had to leave a note asking if they would set up a booth at a resource fair like they usually do for campus clubs, and the woman went through my note, asking me to stand there while she checked my grammar. No idea what that was about. </p>
<p>Speaking to one of our counselors, who’s in charge of LGBT health (only one I’ve actually met in person), made me incredibly thankful to have counselors on campus. She was polite, professional, and downright funny when we spoke just as friends. Extremely brilliant woman, and I recommend all my friends who need counseling to her. </p>
<p>Sorry that I can’t help with much more than that, but I’m sure they’re going to be better than you expected.</p>
<p>if you are very clearly neglecting your hygiene they will probably think you are depressed and/or a CS student</p>
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<p>maybe, but be prepared to wait a month for an appointment because there’s one psychiatrist for the entire school</p>
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<p>the ones i’ve seen suck ass, but that’s probably just at my school. i would advise you to seek multiple opinions either way and seek out like five different therapists until you find one who helps.</p>
<p>No two school counseling centers are the same. Your best bet is to just go. If they’re of no help, then look for a professional counselor (make sure your health insurance covers this sort of treatment though… psychotherapy can get pricey).</p>
<p>I went once, it was fine. More people go than you think. It took me several weeks to get an appointment. I just went in and talked about what was bothering me. I was having problems with compulsive negative thoughts. It wasn’t clinical or anything and the woman just talked to me about some ways to stop having those thought patterns. No big deal. Just talking about what was bothering me made me feel a lot better.</p>
<p>You are just going to talk. At the first meeting they will just try and get to know you. After that you pretty much talk about whatever you want to talk about, and they try to help you understand your feelings. They are not going to give you medications or judge you. You’ll just have someone to talk to who is trained to help you come to a better understanding of yourself, they might make suggestions or ask you questions to make you think but it’s not like you are obliged to listen if you don’t want to, they just contribute what they can for whatever it’s worth to you. Sometimes it can be quite useful, but it does take some getting used to. At first I felt uncomfortably exposed but once I got to know my counselor and we talked a bit more it became a really positive experience. It’s not for everyone, but it’s worth keeping an open mind about. And it’s okay to bring up these kinds of concerns at your appointment! The counselors are used to them and they can’t help you feel more comfortable if they don’t know what’s bothering you.</p>
<p>I would not say that they are generally incompetent at all-- in fact I think they are more qualified than other therapists to handle students because they are much more tuned in to the specific issues of students on that particular campus and the resources available to them. If you were having a serious medical mental issue then they would likely refer you to an outside doctor more equipped to treat you, but for most issues college students face they are a perfectly fine resource.</p>
<p>raefless, everyone makes you angry. Every look and every word said by anyone seems to irritate and anger you. Could it possibly be that you are misreading people in general?
You need to understand that most people do not carry such a chip on their shoulder as you do. Most people don’t interpret each and every expression by others as a “put down” or “negative attitude” towards them. Do you have any positive communication with anyone?</p>
<p>Please consider going back to the counseling center and follow up on your initial visit. Meet with someone at least once a week and use the opportunity to express and release some of the negativity that you’re feeling. Otherwise, you’re an explosion waiting to happen.</p>
<p>The more often you visit the counseling center, the more comfortable you will feel about talking and expressing your thoughts. The more comfortable you become with a counselor, the easier it will be to tear down that brick wall of hate that you’ve built up over the years.</p>
<p>I know that you want to help and that obviously you are not trying to be sarcastic, but why do you accuse me of using the word “every” so often? Do you really think my reasoning abilities are so immature?</p>
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<p>Could it possibly be that there is something about the way I present myself that makes people feel uneasy? Could it be that my voice is funny? Could it be that people don’t like my clothing? Could it be that I appear rude? Could it that I fidget too much? Could it be that I smell like I haven’t showered in days?</p>
<p>There are a lot of reasons why people get mistreated. 99% of the time it doesn’t mean they are psychotics.</p>
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<p>Maybe they perceive that I do and decide to have a little fun at my expense?</p>
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<p>I am not a very communicative person. I don’t accustom to chat with people. I only ask questions and sometimes make random observations. My life would be easier if I knew how to tell stories and have meaningful conversations with people. You already suggested that I have cognitive problems, so it’s possible that there is a disconnect somewhere in my brain that prevents me from “writing” stories and articulating coherent sentences in real time in front of real people. I don’t know anyone else who has this problem. Even people I know who claim to have ADD sound articulate. But what good is it complaining about my problem if people like you don’t believe a word I tell them?</p>
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<p>No, because I want to talk to a person who will be kind to me. If I am going to get treated worse than I get treated out in the street then obviously my best therapy is locking myself up in my room. And you want me to visit a counselor and release some negativity? I can’t release negativity and not feel stupid if the person who is supposed to be listening and empathizing with me is being sarcastic and judgmental. I don’t expect you to believe that I am being truthful or that I didn’t dream all this up. You don’t have to believe anything I tell you.</p>
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<p>It’s funny that you mention it. I always thought I was too intelligent for violence, but this morning while the counselor was talking down to me I felt a strong desire to punch her in the face. That desire was completely out of character and should support my claim that the counseling session didn’t go well. If a non-violent person comes out of a counseling session wanting to punch the counselor then obviously the counseling session didn’t go too well. Before the counselor pushes me to do something that I wouldn’t do under normal circumstances, something unethical, something that would get me trouble, I will continue to counsel myself locked up in my room.</p>
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<p>“Brick wall of hate”.</p>
<p>I don’t hate anyone. I just want people to either be nice to me or stay out of my life. As long as they are not rude to me I don’t even care if they don’t acknowledge my existence.</p>
<p>I used the word “every” because it seems as though the only thoughts that you are able to express on CC are thoughts about people disliking you, making fun of you, treating you condescendingly, giving you dirty looks, etc. </p>
<p>I hope there comes a day when you can begin to observe and appreciate the positive things in your daily life. May tomorrow bring a little joy to you. Goodnight.</p>