Counseling Center FAQs
All actively enrolled full-time/part-time undergraduate/graduate students are eligible for services (you must be enrolled for that semester you are being seen). Full-time employees using their tuition benefit to enroll in classes are not able to receive counseling services.
Students can contact the Counseling Center via email at [email protected] or call us at (808) 735-4845. You can also walk in and schedule an appointment.
No, as long as you are a student, we work collaboratively with you to determine the length of counseling that meets your needs. Some students request a single appointment and some students see us for many sessions, with the average being about 8-10 sessions. Counseling has a beginning and an end, but the ending point is different for everyone. We want to make sure that you are getting what you need and that the time you spend here is worthwhile and useful for you.
It depends. If you are working with an outside community provider, we will encourage you to work with that individual, since we do not want to duplicate services. It can be confusing to see two counselors at once! Sometimes, however, you might need additional, different services that we can provide. For example, you might see an outside provider for individual counseling, but come to the Counseling Center for group counseling, couples counseling, or because of a crisis while you are on campus. We also offer specific trauma treatment modalities that may not be available to you through your provider. We can under certain circumstances work collaboratively with that provider if needed, but this will be a discussion that will take place between you, your provider, and a counselor at our center. We will need your written permission first before we can speak with that provider.
If we do not have the expertise to help you, or if you feel like we are not a good fit for your needs, we can help connect you with a provider in the community who can address your needs.
If you are experiencing a mental health emergency or crisis, please call 988, or call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. An appointment is not necessary if you need assistance from the Counseling Center during office hours, and you may come directly to our office, call us at (808) 735-4845, email us at [email protected], or call Campus Security at (808) 735-4792 to notify our center. If this is an urgent matter, we will do our best to rearrange appointments that we may have that day to assist you as soon as possible. Please also refer to our crisis and/or community resources page for after hour contacts on our homepage on the University website.
Not at all. Students who use the Counseling Center are interested in their personal growth and adjustment to the world around them, especially during college. Students face an array of minor and major developmental concerns, academic pressures, challenges, and transitions while in college. You may feel anxious, angry, overwhelmed, lonely, sad or homesick. Counseling Center staff are trained licensed professionals who can help you to explore alternative coping strategies and find healthy ways of dealing with these pressures.
Students may consider counseling when they may need an unbiased perspective on issues they are facing or when they are unable to manage their own difficulties independently and their day-to-day functioning is being impacted.
We try to do our best to fit you with the best fit counselor possible to meet your needs. All of our counselors have different theoretical orientations, education, training, and expertise. If we are unable to fit your needs with a counselor in the Counseling Center, we can refer you to a community provider.
It is up to you as to whether you want to attend counseling or not. At any point in time during the counseling process, you are welcomed to discontinue services with us. We of course may explore your reasons for discontinuing services if we get a chance to, may attempt to follow up with you, and would like to process this decision of yours before ending sessions, but we respect that this is your decision to receive services.
No. The Counseling Center has a strict confidentiality policy and will not release information regarding contact with a student without permission from the student except in certain circumstances. If a student is 18 years of age or older, it is the student’s right to choose whether to discuss their experience with the Counseling Center with their parents, friends, academic advisors, faculty, staff, or prospective employers.
Prior to your first appointment, we will email you our consent forms to complete, where you will have the option to request a single solution session, help in the aftermath of a recent crisis, or an intake for ongoing counseling. You can also complete these forms in our office if you prefer. Please arrive at least on time to the scheduled appointment. Our counselors often meet with people for approximately 50 minutes during their first visit, but you can also request a 25 minute appointment. At this first session, you will be asked questions to clarify your current situation and past history. The counselor will discuss treatment options with you. We will make every effort to see that you receive the best available care, whether it is on or off campus.
There are many approaches to counseling and various formats in which it may occur, including individual and couples counseling. Despite the variations, sessions usually last 25 or 50 minutes, and you can request a time frame that works for you. The counselor may begin with a check-in since your last appointment and work collaboratively with you to determine what you would like to discuss during that session. A counselor can help you clarify issues so that you can solve your problems independently with their guidance, support, and expertise. There will be goals that you and your counselor will establish to work on during sessions. The counselor may suggest and practice coping tools with you to help you to manage your challenges. The goal of counseling is to make a student more self-sufficient so that they can manage their own difficulties independently and eventually not need services.
Counseling is a two-way process that works especially well when you and your counselor communicate openly. It is important to be transparent with your counselor about your concerns as they may arise. Counseling works best when you attend all scheduled sessions and give some forethought as to what you want to discuss during each session.
Counseling is not always easy, since it may raise issues you have not processed yet. Please keep in mind that some individuals feel worse before they feel better. If you are willing to work in close partnership with your counselor you may find relief from your emotional distress and begin to lead more productive and fulfilling lives.
As you begin counseling, you should establish clear goals with your counselor. Keep in mind that certain goals require more time to accomplish than others. You may be able to evaluate the process of counseling by identifying progress with your goals with your counselor.
We will do our best to connect you with community resources if you are in need of continued services. We also work collaboratively with these providers if needed to make sure that you are successful in your college careers with your written permission.
Yes, we offer telehealth appointments using a HIPAA compliant Zoom platform. Individual, couples/friends counseling, and group services can be offered online.
We are flexible here at the Counseling Center. If you wish to switch to a different counseling service, please discuss this with your counselor and you can explore with them the appropriateness, as well the expectations associated with telehealth services.
Your counselor will work with you individually to address issues of technology. We understand that you might not be able to do video calls some days, so we can discuss the best treatment modality that works best for your needs. We are flexible and try to work with you on these issues. We understand that things happen. You can work with your counselor if these technology issues can be resolved or if you will have to move to another platform for that session. Your counselor will go over an alternative communication plan with you should these challenges occur prior to beginning telehealth.
Yes. The Counseling Center staff are only licensed in the State of Hawaii and we have restrictions in providing counseling outside of state lines. However, we can assist you with referrals in your area if we are unable to service you.
Yes, we ask that you turn on your camera for safety reasons. We would like to make sure that you are in a secure location where you can speak confidentially.
The process is the same whether you are engaging in counseling services virtually or in-person. You can discuss this process with your counselor and your counselor will review resources with you if you are ever in a crisis. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please do not wait to hear back from a counselor. Immediately call 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or (808)832-3100. Email is not being monitored continuously or outside of business hours, although we do our best to respond to email within a 24-hour period. You can try to stop by our office or call us if you need to be seen, and we do have same-day appointments if available; however, if this is an emergency please utilize the above resources.
