Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between a psychologist and a counselor ?
2. I think I have a problem – but I’m not sure / How do I Know if I have a Problem ?
3. What kind of problems do students bring to the counseling center ?
4. But why counseling, I have my friends and family members to share with if have such issues ?
6. Will Counselors disclose to any one the matters I share with him/her ?
1. What is the difference between a psychologist and a counselor ?
‘Psychologist’ is a general term used to refer to someone with a graduate degree in Psychology with specializations in various fields such as Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Organizational Behaviour, Social Psychology, Neuropsychology etc. Different countries apply different criteria and licensing regulations regarding the right to the title of “Psychologist”. In whichever field of application, one of the central features represented by the title is the person’s passion and interest in understanding and exploring human mind.
A ‘Counselor’ is a trained and licensed professional with a masters or a doctoral degree from counseling programs such as Counseling Psychology, Clinical Social Work, Human Services & Counseling etc. While there are many overlapping areas of practice for Clinical Psychologists and Counselors, one critical difference is that ‘Counselors’ or ‘Counseling Psychologists’ work mostly in community and educational settings with healthy and normal individuals as clients whereas clinical psychologists work in clinical and mental health settings with clients who have serious mental health issues or psychological disorders. In their work with normal and psychologically healthy individuals, ‘Counselors’ offer support, guidance and assistance to people struggling with challenges in life such as the loss of a loved one, transition from school to university, relationship issues, emotional distress, stress and anxiety etc.
Most of us are blessed with resilience and adaptive coping strategies to address and overcome these problems; however some of us feel lost and confused when faced with such issues. In such situations, a trained counselor provides support and empathy as they help the client develop insight into the problem, empower them with new perspectives and skills and help them resolve the problem. While a great part of their work involves helping clients address their personal, social and vocational issues they also have a strong focus on advocating for personal growth, prevention of psychological disorders, and empowerment of people with the necessary life skills.
2. I think I have a problem – but I’m not sure / How do I Know if I have a Problem ?
All of us come across problems and challenges in life from time to time. It could be dealing with difficult people, complex situations, frustrating and annoying experiences, puzzling questions about life that you can’t find answers for, habits that you can’t unlearn, conflicts with one’s own self and so on. The list is never ending. Fortunately, we are also blessed with an inherent capacity to cope and adapt to stress and distress. This is called resilience and while some of us have discovered it within ourselves, others are yet to. Most of the times we contribute to making life more complex by delaying or not attending to problems that affect us. This is because solutions to problems often come with a huge psychological cost that requires self-reflection and making changes within one’s own self. So, when it seems to you that there is a problem but you are unsure of, it might be that your resilience is in action and you are coping well to the stress. But, it could also be that your defenses are in operation and it has come to a point of self-deception. Neither of these situations carry on for long and if it is a problem it will soon start showing signs in one’s life. One way to know whether it is a problem that requires ‘help’ is to ask yourself these questions:
Is the situation interfering with your academic/work performance?
Is the problem interfering with you social and personal relationships?
Is he problem causing you significant emotional distress?
If you find yourself answering, ‘yes’ then it may be important for you to come meet us. And, remember - if you continue to have doubts about the seriousness of the problem, we can always help you evaluate the situation objectively and take the most appropriate steps.
3. What kind of problems do students bring to the counseling center ?
Students come to the ZU Student Counseling Center (SCC) with a range of personal, social and academic issues. At times we have curious students who just come in for a chat and want to know more about our services and programs. But mostly we have students who come in because they have issues they cannot handle by themselves and feel lost. Some issues that we attend to commonly are:
- Adjustment issues in the transition from university to school.
- Lack of direction and goals in life.
- Purpose and meaning in life.
- Concerns about career choice.
- Issues/conflicts with professors and instructors.
- Issues with friends and family members.
- Lack of motivation and declining academic.
- Family concerns – divorce, conflicts, neglect, domestic violence etc.
- Abusive relationships.
- Role stress – married/ parenting/ employed etc.
- Emotional issues such as persistent sadness, rumination apathy etc.
- Behavioral as well as substance addictions.
- Issues with eating and body image.
- Unsafe online relationships.
4. But why counseling, I have my friends and family members to share with if have such issues ?
That is great. As counselors we consider your natural support system as an asset and know very well that having the support from family and friends is key to healing. One factor we have in common with your friends and family is that we genuinely care about you. We are concerned and we want to help you resolve your problem. But we are very different from your family and friends in the way we help you. Friends and family members care about you to such an extent they may not be able to support and guide you objectively and without biases. The relationship with your friends/family may be one of dependency, power differences, unclear boundaries etc and these factors influence how they listen to you and help you overcome your problems. A counselor’s relationship with you is guided and bounded by some professional standards and ethics and we are trained to be aware of our biases, responses, reactions to you concerns etc. We don’t foster dependency on us as we help you – rather we help you learn new skills to solve your problems and you may find your self empowered the next time you face issues/challenges in life. We are also trained on “confidentiality” and are mandated not to disclose your information or issues that you share with unless in situations which are exceptional. A friend may wish to keep your information a ‘secret’ but it may not be possible at times or situations may come up where the promise is forsaken. As counselors, we are also skilled to use tools and resources as we engage in actively listening to you and helping you develop insight into and resolutions for your problem. When friends and family members help you, it often becomes a session of advising and guidance than helping you objectively see your problem and developing insight into your self.
5. Can I discontinue my services if I’m not satisfied with the counselor or do not like the way the sessions are progressing ?
Yes, this is one of your rights and you may discontinue your counseling or any other services from the center anytime you wish to. However it is best to inform the counselor about your concerns in advance and do so with a terminating session.
6. Will Counselors disclose to any one the matters I share with him/her ?
“No”, in most situations we do not disclose to anyone else, the matters you share with us. We keep your secrets and this is one of the principles of Counseling termed as “confidentiality” . However, there are some situations that pose limits to confidentiality. That is if the matters/concerns that you share with us indicate harm/danger to yourself or others then, we are mandated to prevent the potential harm from happening even if it means having to disclose the information you shared privately in your counseling session. More details on this are mentioned in the section on ‘Clients’ Rights’
Thank you for taking the time to read these guidelines. At the ZU Student Counseling Center we want you to know that we care about you. Your comments and suggestions concerning the services we provide are of utmost value to us. You are most welcome to discuss any questions or concerns about counseling or the Center with your counselor, other ZU counselors, the Director or the Associate Director. If you have any complaints about a counselor you may contact the Assistant Provost for Student Affairs at studentaffairs@zu.ac.ae
