Generally, yes. Exceptions are made in the event of an emergency if counselors have time slots available. If you have an immediate health-related emergency outside of the Counseling Center\u2019s regular business hours, please call 911 or Campus Safety at 425-466-9365. You may also contact the Crisis Clinic\u2019s 24-hour crisis line at 988.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We will provide a onetime consultation for community members and refer to appropriate community resources. For subsequent appointments you must be enrolled as a current BC student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Counseling services are divided into three main areas: Educational<\/a>, Career<\/a>, and Personal<\/a> counseling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Review our services page<\/a> to learn more about what we do and do not offer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bellevue College counselors provide free, short-term counseling services at the Center. Appointments are generally 50 minutes in length. It\u2019s common to feel anxious during the first counseling session, but counselors are here to support you. Prior to your appointment, you will be asked to complete some brief paperwork in order to help us know how to best serve you. Typically, during your first meeting, your counselor will want to learn more about you and what concerns brought you to the Counseling Center. In subsequent sessions, your meetings will likely be more focused on helping you address your concerns. It\u2019s important to understand that each BC counselor has their own unique style and approach, so sessions may look and feel different from person to person. You and your counselor will work together to determine if the Counseling Center’s services will meet your needs. If you are interested or require services that the Counseling Center does not provide, your counselor can help you find services or other resources in the community. Students typically work with the same counselor during their time at the Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During your initial counseling sessions, your counselor will work with you to assess if the Center\u2019s services can meet your needs and the potential duration of treatment. If it is determined that you would benefit from longer-term services or a specialist in the community, your counselor can assist in connecting you with the appropriate community resources and services. Your needs will be continually reassessed throughout the counseling process, and referrals to off-campus providers may be made if clinically necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No. However, counselors can provide couples with referrals to other therapists in the area who are better able to provide long term couples counseling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our in-person and remote hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mondays – Fridays. We have remote appointments available on Tuesdays from 5 -7 p.m. We are closed Fridays during the summer. Call 425-564-5747 to schedule your appointment or use the self-scheduling tool<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We are located in the Student Success Center (U Building – U 201).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The counselors at BC are either master’s or doctoral prepared professionals. Many are Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Licensed Psychologists, or are currently working towards their license. They are excited to work with you and assist you with your personal, academic, and career concerns. If you would like to learn more about the individual training and experience of each counselor, check out their staff bios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may read about the BC counseling staff before making your initial appointment. When you schedule an appointment with the front desk you may request this counselor or you may also make a specific request such as requesting a male or female counselor. Keep in mind that specific requests may limit availability. If you do not have a specific preference, you will be scheduled with the next available counselor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are already working with an off-campus counselor or therapist, we will typically refer you back to them for ongoing treatment. This approach aligns with ethical best practices, helping to prevent conflicts of interest, avoid contradictory treatment and triangulation, and maintain continuity of care. Additionally, our drop-in appointments are available for times of emotional crisis or heightened distress. Whenever possible, we encourage you to first attempt to reach your primary counselor before seeking additional support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your off-campus clinician refers you to us for assistance with concerns specifically related to your experience as a student, we may provide services in coordination with your provider. In such cases, you may be required to complete a Release of Information form to ensure continuity of care. If you have any questions about how we can support you, please feel free to contact us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a situation where you are unable to wait for your next available appointment or if you have an immediate health-related emergency outside of the Counseling Center\u2019s regular business hours, call 911 or Campus Safety at 425-564-2400. You may also contact the Crisis Clinic\u2019s 24-hour crisis line at 988.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Confidentiality is one of the cornerstones of counseling. All information that you share with a counselor is generally confidential. Counselors may, however, consult with other counselors within the Bellevue College Counseling Center to improve services and make appropriate referrals when necessary. Consulting counselors are also required to maintain the confidentiality of the shared information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Counseling Center records are not a part of the academic record and no one on- or off-campus has a right to these records, except in the rare cases described below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Information is kept confidential except when the counselor is compelled to release information as mandated by Washington State Law. Your counselor will discuss any of the below listed exceptions that may impact you and will work with you to resolve the matter. Below are the exceptions to confidentiality:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each person who is seen at the BC Counseling Center has an individualized treatment plan. Due to our respect for client confidentiality, we cannot share the reasons why you may have been seen for fewer or more sessions than someone else. However, please know that we are doing our best to meet our students\u2019 needs based upon their presenting concerns, resources, and fit within the limit of services we can provide. Regardless of the session amount, our center is designed to provide short-term services. If you would like to explore longer-term services, your counselor can also assist you with referrals to long-term services within the community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do I need an appointment to be seen by a counselor? Generally, yes. Exceptions are made in the event of an emergency if counselors have time slots available. If you have an immediate health-related emergency outside of the Counseling Center\u2019s regular business hours, please call 911 or Campus Safety at 425-466-9365. You may also contact ...more about Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-36","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4037,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36\/revisions\/4037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What does the initial session look like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How many times can I see a counselor?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Do you offer couples counseling?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What are your hours?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Where are you located?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What kind of training do BC counselors have?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Can I choose my counselor?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Can I work with a BC counselor if I already have a counselor?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
However, we understand that there may be temporary gaps in your provider\u2019s availability due to reasons such as maternity leave or vacation. In such cases, we may be able to meet with you on a short-term basis (one or two sessions) to offer support. <\/p>\n\n\n\nI need help right away. What do I do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Are counseling services confidential?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Why did someone receive more counseling sessions than I did?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n