Individual Counseling
The Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) is committed to providing a wide range of individual counseling services to students at University of Idaho that are inclusive, effective and adhere to professional confidentiality standards. In general, practitioners at the CMHC provide short-term counseling services to students, but there is not a set session limit. Students are encouraged to discuss their specific goals during the initial appointment. If you want or need long-term individual counseling, a referral to a community provider may be considered alongside other options (such as group counseling or psychiatric services). If you decide that a referral to the community is the best option given your goals, then case management services are available to assist you in the referral process.
The first step in getting started with individual counseling is to schedule an initial appointment. The initial appointment is an opportunity for you to discuss topics you are hoping to address in counseling, establish goals for this work and develop a plan with your clinician for meeting these goals. Most clinicians schedule follow-up appointments every other week, but the frequency of appointments will be decided during your initial appointment. Most clinicians schedule 45 minutes for individual counseling and these appointments are conducted in person. If you cannot attend in person, please let us know, other options may be available.
Schedule an Appointment
Schedule an appointment by calling 208-885-6716.
The CMHC is located in Mary E. Forney Hall, Room 306.
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Fall and Spring)
Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Summer)
Mental health clinicians provide short-term therapy addressing issues commonly presented by college students as listed below. Examples include but are not limited to the following:
- Adjustment to college, life transitions and relationships
- Academic concerns, time management and motivation
- Stress, anxiety, depression, functioning and coping skills
- Grief and loss, trauma, body image and eating concerns
- Concerns about substance use, thoughts of harming self and/or others and self-harm behaviors
- Identity development, perfectionism, self-esteem and self-advocacy
The CMHC provides individual therapy via Zoom or onsite at 1210 Blake Ave. at Mary Forney Hall, Rm. 306. The telehealth option for individual counseling appointments via Zoom can be available per clinicians’ clinical discretions and their ability to provide mental health services across state lines.
The CMHC has also partnered with BetterMynd to provide additional options for telehealth counseling and workshops.
Counseling appointments are typically 40-50 minutes/session and are scheduled every 2 to 3 weeks. At times, weekly appointments could be arranged for a few sessions but will be transitioned to less than weekly frequency. At each session, the clinician and student will set the next appointment day and time. We do not schedule multiple counseling appointments in advance. Our clinicians reserve the right to reschedule your appointment or reduce the length of counseling time if you arrive more than 15 minutes late to your scheduled appointment time.
Appointments for individual counseling are between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Fall and Spring) and between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Summer).
The CMHC requires a 24-hour advance notice for cancellation of appointments. This will allow another student to schedule an appointment during that hour and maximize our availability to provide timely access to mental health services to all U of I students.
If you would like to cancel or reschedule your scheduled appointment, we request your notification 24 hours in advance. Please call 208-885-6716 or email cmhc@uidaho.edu.
The CMHC provides consultation for students to discuss different treatment options and mental health resources at and beyond the CMHC. To request a consultation with either the clinical director or the case manager, please call 208-885-6716 or visit our office at 1210 Blake Ave. — Mary Forney Hall on the 3rd floor.