About Us

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to promote students’ emotional, academic, social, and cultural growth through counseling, crisis intervention, and outreach within an atmosphere of confidentiality and inclusivity. To meet the needs of UWL and the region, we provide comprehensive testing services that adhere to nationally recognized standards.

Please view our Scope of Service

Counseling Services We Provide:

The UWL Counseling & Testing Center (CTC) utilizes a brief, solution-focused and strengths-based counseling model founded in our staff’s diverse theoretical orientations and disciplines. Therapy is focused on helping students resolve or effectively manage a specific problem or challenge, or to make a desired change. Frequency of therapy sessions is most often every other week, and the average number of sessions per student is 4. Find out more about the services we do and do not provide here.

Specific services include:

• Initial assessment (triage) appointments
• Short-term individual counseling
• Crisis counseling through our Urgent Care
• Group counseling
• Workshops
• Outreach programming
• Referral services
• Couples counseling (if both individuals are eligible for services)

Examples of concerns that we commonly treat:

• Personal concerns: stress, anxiety, depression, anger, loneliness, low self-esteem, grief, social anxiety
• Relationship concerns: romantic relationship difficulties, interpersonal conflicts, family concerns
• Cultural and Identity concerns: impact of oppression, power, privilege, identity and intersectionality; empowerment and identity development/exploration
• Developmental concerns: adjustment to college, life transitions, identity (e.g., personal and cultural)
• Academic concerns: performance anxiety, perfectionism, low motivation
• Trauma or Interpersonal/Relationship Violence: Assessment, stabilization and treatment within a brief therapy model
• Self-harm and/or suicidality: Acute and/or manageable suicidality and/or self-harm thoughts, urges and behaviors

Other concerns, which may include: effects of a recent trauma, spirituality and/or religious identity, body image, food preoccupation, wellness concerns (e.g., sleep), financial stressors, concerns related to mild or moderate alcohol or other drug use/abuse.

Services Outside of our Scope:

In keeping with the brief therapy model of the CTC, students whose needs require long-term and/or intensive support will generally be referred to community resources for ongoing treatment. Students whose needs fall outside the scope of services or scheduling availability of the CTC are also referred to community resources. The CTC provides referrals after the initial visit or as reasons for referral become more apparent over time. The CTC’s clinical case manager assists students in finding appropriate and available resources as needed.

Some of the concerns and/or needs that are commonly addressed through a referral to an off-campus provider may include:

• Students with concerns which a brief therapy model of treatment will not appropriately address.
• A need, or request, for uninterrupted individual services over multiple semesters.
• A need, or request, for treatment modality or area of expertise not provided by CTC staff.
• A need, or request, to be seen differently than what is clinically recommended. For example, a student requests weekly individual therapy sessions when this may not be recommended by the clinician.
• Students with active eating disorders requiring extensive medical monitoring.

Students who need services other than what is offered at the CTC. Reasons may include:

• Students seeking psychological assessments or evaluations for selection, performance prediction or forensic purposes.
  • Students who have not complied with treatment recommendations.
  • Students who are already receiving concurrent ongoing therapy with another mental health provider. This does not include when students are receiving mental health care during breaks when they cannot be receiving care from CTC.
• Students seeking therapy for the sole purpose of obtaining documentation for another office (e.g., Social Security disability evaluations, court-mandated substance use treatment, evaluations for emotional support animals).
• Presence of one (or more) of the following presenting concerns, such that the best treatment would be a higher level of care, such as an intensive outpatient program (IOP):
  • Alcohol and Other Drug Addiction
  • Eating disorders
  • Chronic thoughts and/or attempts of self-injury and/or suicide
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorders requiring more intensive care
  • Personality disorders warranting a DBT program
  • Extensive history of childhood sexual trauma

CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY

The Counseling & Testing Center staff has a very high level of concern and respect towards the confidentiality of individuals receiving services from this office. Staff collect, record, and store client information only as needed for the effective provision of direct services. All information is considered privileged and is maintained as confidential, consistent with ethical guidelines and Wisconsin Statutes (Chapters 19, 48, and 51). Counseling records, tests, and related information do not become a part of an official university record. 

Email Communication

Due to the non-secure nature of e-mail, the confidentiality of such communications cannot be ensured. Please use discretion when sending information that is sensitive in nature. Also, please note that the staff does not maintain 24-hour access to e-mail accounts.  

Client Records 

Client records are maintained to provide services to the individual student client. Records are routinely secured in locked files and are destroyed seven years following the last client contact. Clients have the right to inspect and receive copies of their records; however, access to these records by the person receiving counseling may be restricted by the Director during the course of treatment. Records are reviewed in the presence of the staff member who developed the records and/or the Director. 

For training and supervision, some clients may be asked for permission to observe and/or record (audio or videotape) the counseling sessions. Such observations and recordings will only be conducted after the client has been fully informed and has freely provided written consent. 

Release of Client Information 

Information on clientele demographics and presenting concerns are only reported anonymously and in general summaries. Individual client information may be released outside of the Counseling & Testing Center under the following circumstances. 

• With Informed Consent
  A client may request that specific information be sent to another individual or to another professional/healthcare provider but only with a signed release of information form.   
• Without Client Consent
  Client information may be released without consent in the following situations:
  • When the behavior of a client is considered a "danger to self", staff may disclose information to intervene in this situation. Only relevant information is shared with individuals (e.g. university staff, family, law enforcement authorities) to complete an intervention.
  • When the behavior of a client is considered a "danger to others" it is the staff's responsibility to warn/protect a potential victim(s) of the danger. Again, only relevant information is disclosed to the appropriate individuals.
  • Staff may release client records and serve as witnesses in response to a court ordered subpoena or search warrant.
  • In compliance with Wisconsin Statutes, staff must report allegations of child abuse or neglect. Such reports are limited to allegations occurring with individuals under 18 years of age. Allegations of abuse to a "vulnerable adult" may also be reported.
    

Any questions or clarification of these policies should be directed to the appropriate staff member or the director of the Counseling & Testing Center.

IACS ACCREDITATION

Since 1979, the International Association of Counseling Services, Inc. (IACS) has accredited our center.  This accreditation certifies that we meet or exceed criteria and standards that are applied exclusively to college and university counseling centers.