Who can use the Bloomfield College Personal Counseling services?
Why would you or someone you know seek counseling?
How do you make an appointment for counseling?
What to expect in the first session.
What is Group Counseling and why would someone go to a group?
Other questions people ask about counseling.
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College students experience a great many stresses in their lives - sorting out their identity, establishing and maintaining important relationships, coping with anxiety and depression, working on changing relationships with parents and other family members, dealing with losses, handling new academic demands. Counseling is the chance to learn how to resolve personal issues that are confusing or upsetting, talk with someone not personally involved in the situation who can give feedback from a different perspective, and learn new ways of coping that can help now and in the future. To help with these tasks, the Bloomfield College Personal Counseling Office provides a variety of psychological counseling services for students. Services are free, and confidential.
Who can use the Bloomfield College Personal Counseling services?
The Bloomfield College Personal Counseling Office provides services for all students of Bloomfield College. Students may be full or part-time and attend day or evening classes. The services are free and confidential. Non-student partners of students can be seen only for couples counseling to work on their relationship with the student. They can be given off-campus referrals for their own individual work.
Why would you or someone you know seek counseling?
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Most people come to counseling when their usual ways of handling problems are not working well for some reason. Maybe they have found that talking to friends or relatives about the problem is impossible or unsatisfying. Many students who come feel upset in some way - angry, depressed, scared, or confused. These feelings may have been set off for a number of reasons:
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Feeling the loss of someone close
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Trying to begin or maintain a relationship
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Having problems concentrating while studying
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Experiencing anxiety about tests or speaking in class
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Procrastinating too much
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Wondering why you are in college
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Becoming aware you have a problem with alcohol or drugs
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Struggling to become independent from parents or to not lose touch with your family
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Concern about family members or friends who are facing issues such as a drinking problem, divorce, serious illness, or death
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Reacting to an unwanted pregnancy or a traumatic experience such as rape
These are only a few of the reasons why people come for counseling.
How do you make an appointment for counseling?
You can make an appointment for counseling by calling (973) 748-900 ext.302 or 403, by coming to the Counseling Office on the 3rd floor of the College Center during office hours, or via email.
The first appointment will be an introductory or intake interview. This will give you a chance to say what has been bothering you and to talk with the counselor about what options are available for further counseling. If you call to make an appointment and we are not available to answer the phone, please leave your name, phone number, and the best time to reach you. The phone number will be used only to call to set an appointment or to change one, if necessary. You can ask that we not call you, if you prefer. When we call, if you aren't there we would usually leave a neutral message saying, "Please call about our meeting," or something like that, instead of saying the Counseling Office called.
Keeping appointments is very important. If an emergency arises, please notify us as soon as possible that you will not be here. This allows us to offer the time to another student.
What to expect during the first counseling session.
During the session with the counselor, several things will be accomplished. First, you will have a chance to describe why you are seeking counseling, and why you chose this particular time to do so. Also of interest will be things like how long you have been troubled by this problem, what you have tried in the past to solve it, whether it resembles problems you have had in the past, something about your family background, and other possible areas of concern like a history of abuse, substance use, and general health. At the end of the session the counselor will review with you the various choices available. These usually include:
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having another session to come to a more complete picture of your situation.
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assigning you to a counselor, either the one you are talking to or someone else, for ongoing counseling.
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making an appointment for you to talk with a counselor who leads a group to decide if the group would be most helpful for you.
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suggesting some other action you could take to improve your situation.
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referring you to another therapist or office near campus, if they offer faster or more useful services.
What is Group Counseling and why would someone go to a group?
Counseling groups are often the best way to work on problems, especially when the problems deal with issues about your relationships with other people. A group gives you contact with a few of your peers, along with a counselor, who are not part of your everyday life and so can give you more useful feedback. It is also a safe environment where you can test out different ways of acting with others. The specific groups available each semester vary in theme and time, but in recent semesters we have offered groups focusing on relationships, parenting, and stress management.
Other questions people ask about counseling.
How "bad" should I feel before I go for counseling?
Counseling is NOT just for those times when you feel "at the end of your rope." Many students find that using a counselor as a sounding board as they're trying to figure out a solution to a particular problem or learn more about themselves can be extremely helpful. While feeling bad can be one way of knowing it's time to speak with a professional, it's not the only one. Just feeling stuck or confused is enough reason.
Of course, if you are feeling distressed -- having difficulty concentrating: sleeping: experiencing changes in appetite; serious relationship problems -- then you should make an appointment as soon as you can.
Is counseling or therapy very expensive?
Yes and no. Paying to see someone privately can cost over $100.00 a session. These same services are available to BC students for free for the time when you are in school. It's another good reason to seek counseling while you are here.
What is the difference between therapy and counseling?
The words are often used interchangeably and there is a lot of overlap between them. Counseling more often helps us focus on" here and now" issues and coping with our daily life. Therapy helps us get deeper into the causes of our current problems by examining our past as well as the present. The Personal Counseling Office offers both services and many times students engage in both during the course of their work with a counselor.
Will anyone else find out what I talk to my counselor about?
What goes on between a counselor and a student is private. The counselor does not report to deans, parents, and members of the faculty except at the student's written request in very rare circumstances. The theory behind all forms of counseling is that creating a safe zone where anything can be discussed without worry of repercussion is a basic necessity before anything else can occur. For more information on confidentiality, click here.
What can I do if I'm not ready for counseling?
There are lots of other ways to work on your problems. A counselor might suggest reading material, self-help groups, Internet links. It's ok and in fact, extremely helpful, to tell the counselor if you're not interested or ready to continue one-to-one counseling. Then other options can be discussed.
If you don't feel ready to meet with a counselor even once to explore some options, take a look through the "Help Yourself" pamphlets displayed in the lobby of the College Center. You may find something there that's useful. For other pamphlets click here.
