College Counseling

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I've got an appointment with a counselor on campus for the first time in a few weeks. I don't know if the person I'll be seeing is actually a psychologist or just a grad student yet. I honestly did have a bad experience with my ex-psychiatrist b/c meds make me worse & she wasn't good for helping me w/ emotional stuff. I'm a little worried that if I say the wrong thing, the person will recommend me to someone who can make me take meds... Is this possible (its a college counseling service & its free to all students)? The stuff I want to talk about/need help with is the kind of stuff that makes me think either 1. They'll think I'm nuts & recommend pills/treatments, etc. or 2. I'll just mentally scar them (I'd prefer #2) .

OK - I don't know what college, but Pennsylvania is US and there are family resemblances. I was long time faculty and did some faculty advising AND used the U's counselling service.

I am assuming you asked for the appointment? Even if you were referred, I would be surprised if it were compulsory. You don't say probable topic of the counselling - so I'm going to assume it is reasonably comparable to my Hey I need help counselling sessions - started in my case OFF campus, but it was going to pile up so the counsellor suggested I go through the system.

A lot of unknowns here - but so far as I know all that can happen is counsellor COULD recommend visiting X Y or Z, could SUGGEST getting evaluated for meds - but unless your cvollege is much more authoritarian than any of mine you cannot be forced into it. I would say, shop [including getting recommendations from people you can trust if they are around] for someone yhouy can be COMFORTABLE with.

And may I say - I would seriously consider checking with a serious classical homeopath or a craniosacral therapist. The ones we have dealt with have a track record with the spectrum.

I will explain the process to you as I used to have college counsellors when i went to 2 colleges.

You get referred to the counsellor, you attend and you talk about how your feeling and they listen to you but they can't give advice as they arent fully qualified like a psychologist and psychiatrist are. The counsellor will ask you what you can do to make you feel better and all that if you happen to mention something that puts you as a risk they have to discuss it with the tutor and the tutor will call your doctor who will put you back in touch with your psychologist and psychiatrist.

That is the process of what happened to me

I've had experiences with college counselors in the UK, and my experience was quite frankly terrible. They are there to provide an opportunity for students to talk, like Autistic-me-star said, and will refer difficult cases to other therapists. Unfortunately they took a rather weird approach at my Uni and I was naive enough to trust them. I'd go in to see the therapist and she just sat there and stared at me. That was it. Explaining my problems endlessly to someone who gave me no recognisable cues or feedback freaked me out to the point of triggering stress induced nightmares. I learned later that this approach is meant to provide the patient with a blank non-judgmental subject they can just talk at and relieve themselves of their psychological burden. If I wanted that I'd have found a convenient inanimate object to speak to.

So yeah, don't assume what they provide will be suitable for you and if it isn't, go elsewhere for help. You probably don't fit the stereotype they're expecting but they'll expect you to fit into it anyway.

Honestly, from experience, I would avoid seeing a psychologist/psychiatrist connected to a university. They tend to have a more cavalier attitude to issues such as privacy and confidentiality and research students will often be allowed rummage through your files.

If you don't have a problem with that, fine, if not, I'd recommend seeing someone not connected to your college.

I went to a college councelor, one time. That was also the last time, as well. I didn't want to go through all that, again like I did, in high school.

My problem is all related to a problem I had (& have posted about a lot) in the beginning of the semester. I'm gonna break it down a bit:

1. Confusing/Disgusting threesome offer (I said no)
2. The girl who is the ex girlfriend of the guy who brought it up was manipulated by him in2 "sort of asking" (she was told to ask "in a clever manner" (it sounded like a screwed up anatomy lesson on male genitalia... )
3. The girl is an aspie, I see her daily but she has whined to me about missing this guy (ICK!) & as of yesterday made a comment about my butt b/c I was talking w/ friends about sports & how I did dance. She proceeded to refer to sticking something up my...

*What I wanted to do at the counseling session is traumatize the counselor/grad student w/ the disgusting details & ask "So, how the heck am I supposed to react to this kind of crap?!" I need to vent even though I doubt they can help me. I might just say I don't know how to react to a friend's gross comments towards me w/o being very specific.

I'm considering going to a college counselor for my problems, and now this thread is turning me off them. Is there any way to get a counselor that does not cost me money? (Please mind that I live in the US)

I went to a college counselor a couple of times. She was very nice but very limited in the help she could provide. She didn't act like she had much experience and just spent a couple of sessions doing "relaxation breathing". She said if I needed more help should could refer me on to someone.

This was a pretty small school though. Maybe a large school would have more resources.