Making a Referral to the Counseling Center
- Approach the person you are concerned about in a gentle, caring, and non-judgmental way.
- State specifically why you are concerned. Describe behaviors, then suggest a visit to the Counseling Center.
- Try to normalize the process of seeking help.
- When referring someone to counseling services, suggest it as a possible resource rather than telling them to go because he or she "needs help" or is "causing a problem" for others.
- Remind the person that they do not have to have a "deep dark" problem nor does the problem need to reach crisis proportions for them to benefit from professional help. We would rather have someone come in with a small problem than wait for it to become a big one.
- Reluctant people might also be relieved to know that they can just come in for Walk-in and speak to a counselor on a one-time basis without making a commitment to on-going therapy.
- If you want to offer extra support you can have them call the Counseling Center from your room or office, and/or you can offer to accompany the person to his or her first session.
- Remind them that counseling is free for the first 6 sessions and $12 for the subsequent sessions. The same service in the private sector can cost between $75 and $125 per hour.
- Inform the person that Counseling Center staff try to help people help themselves.
- Remember that many people will feel ambivalent about seeking help from any source including the Counseling Center. You may need to remind them that, "What you are currently doing to solve your problems is not working."
- Remind them that they do not always have to know what's wrong before asking for help.
- The ambivalence can often be characterized by statements such as, "I do not want to go there because my problem is not that serious." Or, "I do not want to go there because I think my problems are too serious and they can’t help me." In either of the two preceding cases, the person you are trying to refer may be fearful of the unknown. A direct response to such objections can sometimes be helpful. "If your problem is not appropriate for the Counseling Center, they can make sure that you are directed to the right place."
How Do I Know If This Person Received Counseling? Ask that person. Because counseling is confidential, we cannot inform you if the person of concern came to the Counseling Center or reveal what they talked about. Therefore, the best way to find out if the person came to the Center is to follow-up with this individual yourself.