Clinical Counseling Center

What is the virtual Clinical Counseling Center?

The CMU virtual Clinical Counseling Center (CCC) is the counseling training center operated by Central Methodist University full-time faculty in the Clinical Counseling Department’s Master of Science in Clinical Counseling program.

Who Provides the Services through the Clinical Counseling Centers?

The CCCs are staffed by graduate counseling student interns in the last two years of CMU’s Master of Science in Clinical Counseling program, in either their clinical practicum or clinical internship field experiences. Student interns are under the direct supervision of the CCC Clinical Directors, who are faculty members in the counseling program. All Clinical Counseling department faculty members are licensed counselors and work closely with the student interns toward their professional development.

Student interns are only allowed to practice within their scope of expertise. Therefore, if it becomes evident that a client's presenting concern is beyond the intern's scope of competence, the client will be referred to a licensed professional clinician in the surrounding community.

What Services are Provided by the Clinical Counseling Centers?

The CCCs offer free individual counseling services, group counseling services, psychoeducational presentations, and staff consultations on concerns related to student mental health. On average, clients tend to complete 6 counseling sessions during a semester – the number of sessions varies depending upon how early counseling services are initiated during the semester and scheduling availability.

What Services are Not Provided by the Clinical Counseling Centers?

The CCCs do not provide on-call crisis services or same-day appointments. All CCC services are by advance appointment during available clinic operating hours. The CCCs will develop safety plans with clients and provide crisis resources that may be used between appointments as needed.

What Is Unique About Virtual Counseling Services?

Virtual counseling services allow the CCCs to provide services to clients physically located anywhere within the state of Missouri at the time of their scheduled session.

Clients will need to provide their physical location at the time of each session to confirm they are in the state of Missouri at the time of their session. This pertains to state licensure laws for providing telemental health services.

A licensed, full-time counseling faculty member will be present in each virtual counseling session, with their camera and microphone off. This way, in the case of an emergency, a licensed professional counselor is immediately available to address the situation with the counseling intern and client.

What Types of Issues are Commonly Seen by the Clinical Counseling Centers?

Common issues seen by CCC counseling interns include, but are not limited to, anxiety, depression, stress, grief, adjustment-related concerns, relationship-related concerns, trauma-related concerns, identity-related concerns, and academic-related concerns.

What Are the Clinical Counseling Center Operating Hours?

CCC operating hours differ each semester, depending upon the availability of the clinic directors and the counseling interns. Typically, the CCC operating hours are during weekday afternoons and early evenings, with appointments scheduled at least one business day in advance.

Hours of operation for Fall & Spring:

How Do Individuals Schedule an Appointment?

Once a partnership agreement is established, a CMU email address unique to the community college is created for its students and employees to request an appointment

How Long Do Individuals Wait for their First Scheduled Appointment?

CCC first appointments are typically able to be scheduled within 1 week of the initial appointment request. In order for an appointment to be scheduled, the initial electronic paperwork – to include the informed consent and intake forms – must be completed, signed, and returned. Paperwork and return instructions are provided in response to initial appointment requests.

What Are the Boundaries of Confidentiality?

The primary times confidentiality will be broached are when a client reports a threat of harm to self, a threat of harm to others, suspected child abuse or neglect, suspected dependent adult or elderly adult abuse or neglect, or if subpoenaed. The informed consent form provides additional information on confidentiality pertaining to CCC services.

For individuals interested in scheduling an appointment for counseling with one of our graduate student interns, send an email to ccc@centralmethodist.edu or complete the Appointment Inquiry Form below.

Appointment Inquiry Form