Our Counseling Process
If you or someone you know is suicidal and needs help immediately, do not call the Health & Wellness Center, call 911 or the Walla Walla Crisis Response Unit at (509) 524-2999, or go to the Providence St. Mary Medical Center emergency room. Find emergency resources.
All Walla Walla University students have free access to highly qualified and caring therapists who will work with you to help establish and achieve goals. Counseling services include individual, couple, and group counseling. We are able to offer a maximum of 10 sessions per year to students who use our center. Counseling staff may refer you to an outside professional for longer-term psychotherapy and/or psychiatric evaluation as needed.
If you are on the College Place campus, here are the steps to initiate counseling:
1. Submit an application.
To schedule your first appointment with a therapist, fill out an application through the student portal. You will be prompted to complete a Counseling Application, a Privacy Acknowledgment Form, a Video Release Form, the GAD, and the Personal Health Questionnaire.
2. Set up an initial appointment.
Within a week of submitting your application and completing the surveys, our office will reach out to set up an initial assessment appointment.
3. Attend your first online or in-person session.
Counseling sessions are scheduled for 45 minutes. During this time your therapist will get to know you and work with you to define your goals for counseling. The pace of the session is set collaboratively between you and your therapist. The counseling conversation explores solutions and strategies for difficult problems and will be devoted to finding ways of achieving your goals.
Cancellations
Your appointment time is reserved for you. Should you need to cancel, we need advance notice of at least 24 hours. If you miss more than two sessions without notifying your therapist or the counseling office, you may lose the opportunity to continue counseling at the Health & Wellness Center. Your therapist will go over this “no-show” policy during your first session.
If you need to cancel, email your therapist directly or email counseling@wallawalla.edu.
Walk-in Consultations
If you are unsure if counseling is for you or are you simply wanting to talk to someone briefly about something you might be facing, the Health & Wellness team welcomes you to visit our center for a walk-in consultation with one of our counselors to explore resources and options.
Walk-in hours are Monday–Thursday, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. (PST) at the Health & Wellness Center.
If you find it difficult to come into the office or would prefer to participate in a consultation virtually, please email us at counseling@wallawalla.edu and we will reach out to you to set up a consultation through Microsoft Teams.
Confidentiality and Ethics
Confidentiality
Counseling is confidential in accordance with state laws and ethical guidelines. All communication between a therapist and a client is considered confidential, except in the case of suspected child abuse or neglect, potential harm to oneself or to others, a court subpoena, or if your insurance company requests access to your records. Students may sign a release of information to release their records (with a 15-day notice), which can be done at the Health & Wellness Center.
Counseling records are maintained in files separate from the student academic record and medical files and cannot be accessed by faculty, staff, administrators, parents or other students without the student's written permission. Students are encouraged to address any questions or concerns about confidentiality with their therapist during their first appointment.
Ethics and Professional Standards
The course of treatment you engage in will be the result of a collaborative process between you and your therapist. If you do not feel well matched with your therapist after your initial assessment appointment, please share your concerns with them in order to find an effective resolution. Your health and safety are protected from counselors who behave unprofessionally through the Washington State Counselor Crediting act. If you have concerns about your therapist, please contact the State of Washington Department of Health by phone at (206) 753-2147 or by mail at P.O. Box 47869, Olympia, WA.
Faculty and Staff Referrals
If you would like to refer a student for counseling, we have therapists available for walk-in consultations Monday-Thursday 12 p.m.–1 p.m. You may also direct students to make an appointment. After we receive their application for counseling, we will contact the student to set up an initial assessment appointment.
If a student needs to speak with a therapist immediately, you may refer them to the Walla Walla County Crisis Response Unit by calling 509-524-2999. This line is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you believe a student may pose a direct threat to him/herself or another person you can share your concern by emailing the Behavioral Intervention Team at bit@wallawalla.edu. If the threat seems imminent call 911. Find more emergency resources.