CTS FAQ

Counseling & Testing FAQs

Phone (940)-565-2741 or Walk-in to CTS at 313 Chestnut Building on the UNT Campus. Schedule an appointment to see a counselor if it is not an urgent care situation. Typically, students can be seen within one or two days if needed. Out-patient appropriate urgent-care students will be seen by the next available counselor, however, if someone is actively in danger, a danger to themselves or others, 911 should be called, or if safe, they should be taken to the nearest Emergency Room.

Counseling and Testing Services provides individual and group therapy, workshops, and assistance in obtaining other community and campus resources exclusively to current UNT students, as we are funded through the Student Service Fee that is paid by currently enrolled students. You must be enrolled in the current semester at UNT to receive services. The one exception to this eligibility policy is during summer: you must be enrolled in the current summer semester OR be enrolled in both the prior spring semester and upcoming fall semester. Enrollment will be verified prior to the start of the session.

Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CTS's office hours during fall break, spring break, and summer break vary. 

We know unexpected things happen and we are flexible with a first no-show to an appointment. Please be mindful that CTS appointments are in critical demand and we have a limited number of staff. As per our Cancellation/No Show Policy, if you No Show 2 appointments in the same semester, we will be unable to keep any scheduled appointments or schedule another appointment for the remainder of the semester. You may request referral information. You may be eligible for counseling services the next semester in which you are enrolled.

We know unexpected things happen. If you need to cancel your appointment, please call CTS at 940-565-2741 or visit our office in Chestnut Hall 313. Due to the heavy demand for services, we urgently request you cancel 1 day (24 hours) in advance of your scheduled appointment time. Appointments not canceled at least 30 minutes in advance will be considered No Shows.

The contents and process of the first sessions will depend on the level of appointment you are seeking. Please see the "Making an Initial Appointment", in our programs and services section to determine which level of appointment will best meet your needs.

How long are counseling sessions?

Individual counseling appointments are usually 45 minutes in length. Group counseling sessions are usually 60 to 90 minutes in length.

There are many kinds of therapy so there is no pat answer to this question. Generally for most people, discussing issues, problems, behaviors, feelings, values, choices, goals, wishes, and wants help them clarify how to move from a problem (often a "stuck" point) toward change and solutions. Be aware though that change is neither easy for most nor is it linear. Talk to you counselor about where you are going and what you want from counseling. Frankly, most bright college students already know what the problem is and how they want to change but have been unable to change it on their own. This still doesn't make change easy and this is where counseling can often help. None of us can be completely objective about ourselves, nor can people close to us, so it is often helpful to talk to an objective trained professional to get a new angle on things.

Do you ever recommend medication? 

The answer is "sometimes". Meditation has been shown to help so many people with certain kinds of problems that it would be unfair not to recommend it. IF we believe you would be a good candidate to benefit from medication, we would make a referral to a physician or psychiatrist for a valuation. On the other hand, we don't always recommend medication if we believe you might respond just as well with other forms of counseling (i.e. therapy). Feel free to talk this over with your therapist if you feel you might, or might not, want medication. You will not be forced to take any medication to receive services unless to do so is strongly contraindicated. 

No, we do not withhold services because someone chooses not to be taped. Our taping is state of the art and extremely safe and confidential, as this was our number one criteria for our new equipment. Also, all taping is erased either immediately after supervision is done (in the case of someone who needs supervision) or at the maximum of 3 weeks when it is automatically deleted, with no record of it remaining. Taping is advantageous for both your counselor and the client however as a licensed psychologist or licensed professional counselor (supervisors) to help your counselor, help you more, and you could say it's like getting two for one, and much more experience to help you with your problem. If you see a practicum student counselor, it benefits them immensely in learning to improve their skills and knowledge and to help you more with your specific situation. There are some cases where if you choose not to take, you may be requested to change counselors to someone who doesn't require supervision.

It is our policy that all staff seeks in-house consultation as needed, but remembers all of this is done with the same strict privacy as you have with your original counselor.

Counselors sometimes use these as tools to help students. If your counselor thinks it may be helpful, they will discuss it with you. There may be a minimal charge for certain assessment tools.

No, we do not do full assessments that are required for the Office of Disability Services or other agencies for many reasons. But, we will be glad to help you locate a site or professional that can do these extensive evaluations, including a referral to the Psychology Clinic in Terrell Hall. We also may be able to give you names of professionals in the community who do these assessments.

Counseling is a very personal endeavor, and we respect privacy and confidentiality to the extent that the law allows. If you have any questions about this, please ask. As with all health related services nationally, HIPAA documentation about our policy/procedures and disclosures must now be signed.

Since we are supported by the "Student Service Fee", at this time we do not charge for the services, except minimal costs for some specific assessment instruments, and some workshops/classes.

The staff at Counseling and Testing Services work closely together with the staff of the Student Health and Wellness Center (as well as off-campus health professionals) for the mutual benefit of the student, with the individual client's permission. For some clients, medication is a very beneficial part of the overall treatment process, and referral for a medication evaluation will be made when it is suspected that it might prove helpful. Other related health issues will also be referred to the health center or the client's physician.

The counseling center is focused on providing short-term counseling that is designed to assist students with issues that can benefit from this counseling model. Some psychiatric disorders may require treatment and or monitoring beyond the scope of what the counseling center can provide, and if this is the case, referral to appropriate agencies or professionals will be provided. If in doubt, or if you have questions, please contact us.

Due to the significant and continuing increase in demand for counseling services and our limited staff resources, CTS provides brief individual therapy, group therapy, drop-in groups and workshops, and assistance in obtaining appropriate resources/referrals. Duration and type of services is based on individual needs and concerns. Individual counseling at CTS tends to be brief/short-term, while group counseling sessions can be unlimited. If neither of these services appears to be an ideal fit for your needs, CTS clinicians will assist you in determining and obtaining services that meet your needs. In some situations, students may benefit from more frequent, longer-term, or specialized care. In these cases, a student will meet with the CTS Case Manager to consult about which resources may be most beneficial. The Case Manager assists students in making initial contact with an outside provider or agency and can provide follow up support.

When possible, we will try to help with finding referrals to other professionals on and off-campus and to help in providing information about other universities, community, and regional resources.

Students are expected to be prompt for appointments or call to cancel well in advance if they cannot make an appointment so other students have the opportunity to use our resources. Students are expected to use counseling to their full ability because any kind of change, growth, awareness, and benefit is contingent on the client's willingness to engage and work openly and honestly in the process of counseling. No counselor can MAKE you change, only help guide you in the direction YOU want to go. Counseling is an ACTIVE process and requires your efforts and work.

Generally, we do not do counseling to meet the requirements of probation or the courts. Remember we are a time-limited short-term counseling center, and usually, that is incompatible with counseling needed for probation. Also, depending on the situation, we may not have staff that has the expertise to deal with certain kinds of problems that may be part of the legal process. We do not do forensic evaluations of any kind nor do we go to court for/with clients. All of this is not to say that a student, who is on probation, cannot access our serves like other students, but they cannot do so to satisfy a court requirement.