Vol. XXI No. 1
September 2005

Therapy From A to Z

The Juilliard Counseling Service extends a welcome to all new and returning students. We have received a few questions about how counseling works and hope that our answers will help you understand how to make the most of counseling at Juilliard.

Dear Shrink Rap:

Someone told me that there are therapists here at School—but I don't know how to access your service, or how much it will cost me. Could you give me some information?

—Looking for Answers


Dear Looking for Answers:

Juilliard indeed has a Counseling Service, and we are here to provide services to all students enrolled in the School's College Division programs. (We do not serve Evening Division or Pre-College students.) Our offices are on the 22nd floor of the Rose Building, where the residence hall is located. We are right next door to the Health Services clinic, but our offices and phone numbers are separate.

Juilliard's therapists help young people with quality-of-life issues, including those related to their work as performing artists and students.
The best way to make an appointment or speak with a therapist on the phone is to call our main number: (212) 769-3918. You will get an answering machine on which you can leave a confidential message, and a therapist will call you back, usually within 24 hours. If you cannot wait for a return call because you have an immediate need or crisis, you may knock on the door of the Counseling Office, which is next to the door for physical therapy. Or you can ask a practitioner or staff person in Health Services to help you make immediate contact with a Counseling Service therapist.

We do have walk-in hours, during which you can drop in to see a therapist without an appointment. We will also be offering support groups this year, and if you feel that a support group for any particular issue might be helpful, let us know. Please check the signs posted in the School and the residence hall for our schedule, including walk-in hours.

Counseling is provided to Juilliard students free of charge. We do limit the number of appointments you may have to once a week, but not how many weeks you may stay in therapy. Some advanced-degree students have utilized our services for the duration of their undergraduate and post-graduate years.

You may also want to visit the 22nd floor to review the many brochures we have, on a wide range of topics: relationships, depression, sexuality, eating disorders, alcohol use, and medications. And we hope that you will give counseling a try.


Dear Shrink Rap:

Can you tell me a little about the therapists in the Counseling Service? Also, how do I know which one to choose, since I haven't met any of them?

—A Curious Student


Dear Curious:

The Counseling Service has six psychotherapists (three women and three men), two of whom are psychologists, three clinical social workers, and one psychiatric nurse practitioner. We also have a consulting psychiatrist who is a medical doctor. He has appointments with students for the purpose of assessing medication needs and prescribing and monitoring medication. He sees students in his own office, which is just a few blocks from the School (an easy walk). Medication is not a requirement to be in counseling, of course; the choice to use medication is completely voluntary on the part of the student.

This year our intern program has grown, and we will have a social work student from Hunter College and one from New York University. Five of our therapists have been with the Counseling Service for more than eight years each. All of our therapists understand and are experienced in helping young people with life issues, including those that are related to their work as performing artists and students, but also those which impact a young person's quality of life, outlook, ability to function, happiness, ability to concentrate, relationships, physical health, and general well-being.

You do not need to ask for a specific therapist. The director or another counselor will talk with you briefly on the phone to learn a little more about you, and you are welcome to express any preferences you might have (say, if you have a particular desire to meet with a man or a woman). You will then be assigned to one of the therapists. We understand that the therapist/patient relationship has to work for both parties. We encourage students to stay with one therapist for three or four sessions—and then, if it does not feel that this is the right counselor, students may make a request, either to the therapist or the director of the Counseling Service, to see a different therapist. You are always welcome to speak with the director of counseling by calling (212) 769-3918 if you have any questions or concerns about your experience at the Counseling Service.

There will be a special "suggestion and question" box in the Counseling Service hall on the 22nd floor this year, where students can submit anonymous comments about the service, as well as questions for publication in this monthly column. We invite all students to help us improve our services by voicing their opinions and questions.
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