Select Your Search Criteria

VT Web VT People

Enter your search here

• Virginia Tech Home
• Division of Student Affairs
• Cook Counseling Center

This document contains important information for potential clients. Please read it carefully and discuss any questions you have with your counselor.

Welcome to the Virginia Tech Cook Counseling Center. We provide individual, group, and couples counseling, assessment, consultation, and campus outreach services to the Virginia Tech community. Continuing services are available to all currently enrolled Virginia Tech students who pay the student health fee.

Introduction to the Thomas E. Cook Counseling Center

The experience of counseling, or psychotherapy, varies depending on the counselor/therapist, the client, and the particular concerns of the client. There are a number of different approaches which may be used to help with the concerns you hope to address. In general, the process involves you speaking about your issues openly and honestly, while your counselor listens to you attentively and respectfully. The counselor asks you questions, and works with you collaboratively to address your issues. You should expect to be able to discuss with your counselor any concerns you have, either about your problems or about the process of counseling. While your counselor will help you meet your goals, he or she will not give you advice or tell you what to do. Rather, counseling requires an active effort on your part, during and outside of sessions.  If you have any questions or doubts about the process, it is important to discuss them whenever they arise.  

 

Counseling has both benefits and risks. The benefits that can result from engaging in this process include a significant reduction of feelings of distress, improved relationships, resolution of specific problems and increased self-esteem. Risks sometimes include experiencing uncomfortable levels of feelings like sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. Counseling can involve recalling unpleasant aspects of your personal history. In addition, counseling may result in your choosing to make changes in your current relationships. Although there are no specific guaranteed outcomes, most students who use our services find that the benefits outweigh the risks.

 

Confidentiality and Professional Records

 

Students who seek counseling often have questions about the confidentiality of counseling services and professional records. In general, confidentiality of counseling services is protected by law and information about your treatment can only be released to others with your written permission. However, there are a few exceptions.

 

We are legally required to take action in some situations to protect people from harm, even though that requires revealing some information about a client's treatment.  The following situations are exceptions to confidentiality:

1. If we believe that a client is threatening serious harm to another person, we are required to take protective actions, which may include notifying the potential victim, notifying the police, or seeking appropriate hospitalization.

 

2. If a client threatens to hurt him/herself, we may be required to seek hospitalization for the client, or to contact others who can help provide protection from harm.  

 

3. If we learn from first hand knowledge that a child or incapacitated adult is being abused, we may be required to file a report with an appropriate state agency.

 

4. If your records are requested by a proper subpoena or court order, we may be forced to turn your records over to the court. 

 

Both the law and the standards of our profession require that we keep appropriate treatment records. At the Cook Counseling Center, treatment notes are kept in a secure electronic medical records system that remains separate from your health center records and your academic records.  We will release a summary of your records to another mental health professional with your written authorization on a Cook Counseling Center release form.  We will also provide pertinent information to medical staff at the Schiffert Health Center with your authorization when it is needed for your best care.

 

Staff

The staff of the Counseling Center consists of experienced counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and trainees from professional mental health training programs. All trainees receive extensive supervision. Supervision may involve discussion, video or audio recordings or live observation.  Any observation or recording is only carried out with the client’s written consent.  In addition, staff members conduct peer supervision with each other. All supervision is conducted in a confidential, respectful manner, with the purpose of being able to provide you with the highest quality of service.  All information remains within the Cook Counseling Center.

 

Sessions

The first appointment is a brief session (about 30 minutes) to assess your counseling needs and provide information regarding appropriate services. These may include services at our center or referrals to outside agencies.  The second session will focus on gathering additional information that may help with your treatment.

 

Although we do not have a limit on the number of sessions, we emphasize a brief counseling focus. If you require services beyond the scope of what we can provide, we will refer you to other resources within the community.  Ten days after your last scheduled appointment, if we do not hear from you, we will assume you are no longer interested in our services and will close your file.  You are always welcome to initiate services with us in the future

 

The Cook Counseling Center is open Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. If an emergency occurs during these hours please tell the front office staff in person or by calling 231-6557.  If a life threatening emergency occurs outside of these hours or on a holiday, contact the Cook Counseling Center emergency services through the same phone number.  A counselor will return your call.  Please call the Cook Counseling Center if you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment.  If you fail to do this there will be a $25 no show charge.

 

Ethics Code and Guidelines

The staff of the Counseling Center pledge to uphold legal and ethical codes and institutional requirements.  The counseling staff follows the Standards of Professional Conduct of the American Psychological Association and the Code of Ethics of the American Counseling Association. These guidelines are available to you at the following links:

http://www.apa.org/ethics/code2002.html

http://www.counseling.org/Files/FD.ashx?guid=ab7c1272-71c4-46cf-848c-f98489937dda.

 

The Virginia Tech Cook Counseling Center does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race or ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, or ability/disability status.  Our focus is on the value and dignity of each student, and our respect for the idea of a healthy campus community.

We hope that you have a helpful and positive experience at the Cook 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 Christopher Flynn, Ph.D., Director, Cook Counseling Center (231-6557).

Revised 4/13/09