Counseling

Sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking are complex and painful experiences which often require a combination of legal, medical, psychological, spiritual, familial, and personal responses. These events can disrupt a person’s life in many ways. Common feelings include fear, anxiety, rage, depression, and even guilt. Thoughts can be contradictory and confusing. It appears that talking through the trauma soon after the event may prevent longer-term trauma-reactions. Following ANY trauma, people are encouraged to seek counseling within a week. For those individuals who have not chosen this option it is never to late to speak with a professional about a trauma experience.

Oasis Program Counseling

The Oasis Program offers counseling to University of Arizona students, faculty and staff who have recently been impacted by sexual assault, interpersonal violence, or stalking. Our services are available to men, women, and trans populations. Psychological counseling for problems related to the impact of sexual assault, interpersonal violence, or stalking, crisis counseling, and safety planning are offered by the Oasis Program counseling staff.

Individuals seek Oasis Program counseling services for many different reasons. The Oasis Program counselors are skilled in dealing with emotional distress resulting from sexual assault, interpersonal violence, and stalking; trained to listen carefully and respectfully; and trained to facilitate conversations that might include:

• Exploring medical and legal options (pressing charges, petitioning for a protective order, filing informal or confidential reports), and generating plans for safety
• Ways to talk with others about what has happened or is happening to you
• Identifying concerns about the harm done to you and understanding how it is affecting your life
• Identifying healthy ways of coping with and healing from the harm that has occurred or that continues
• Recognizing patterns and cycles of violence
• Coping with a loved one’s/roommate’s/friend’s experience of assault or violence

FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL!

Our counseling services are free and confidential. All interactions with the Oasis Program counselor, including scheduling of or attendance at appointments, content of your sessions, progress in counseling, and your records, are confidential. No record of counseling is contained in any academic, education, or job placement file. You may, however, request in writing that the counselor release specific information about your appointments to persons you designate.

There are a few exceptions to the rule of confidentiality. If the Oasis Program believes you are immediately and seriously dangerous to yourself or to others, the staff is legally required to try to keep you safe and to warn anyone you might try to harm. Another circumstance in which the staff is required to break confidentiality is in the case of child or elder abuse. Lastly, a court order, issued by a judge, may require the Oasis Program staff to release information contained in records and/or require a counselor to testify in a court hearing.

All counseling staff at Campus Health, including the Oasis Program counselors, work as a team. Your counselor may consult with other counseling staff to provide the best possible care.

If you have specific concerns or questions about confidentiality, feel free to call the Oasis Program and ask to talk to a counselor about your concerns or discuss them when you come for an intake interview.

Who provides the services?

Counseling services are provided by licensed mental health providers with training and experience working with individuals who have been impacted by sexual assault, interpersonal violence, and stalking. They are aware of the medical and legal options that are available to you and can help you develop a safety plan. They are also familiar with other services or programs on campus and in the community that may be helpful to you.

What can I expect?

Sometimes one session is all that is required, sometimes people come for several regular sessions, and sometimes people see a counselor intermittently over a period of time. This is something that is negotiated with the counselor and depends on many factors, including the types of issues being discussed and the purpose of seeing the counselor. You are free to stop counseling at any time.

You can expect to be:

• Listened to with care and respect
• Responded to honestly and respectfully
• Informed about confidentiality
• Informed of your rights and options
• Informed of the risks of counseling
• Treated in ways that are respectful of and sensitive to your cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, gender issues, and disabilities
• Free to ask questions about the counselor’s training, experience, and ways of working with clients
• Supported through advocacy when this would benefit you
• Free to refuse to answer questions or discuss any aspects of your life that you do not feel are relevant or appropriate
• Provided with a referral if Oasis Program counseling services are not appropriate for your concerns or needs

How do I make an appointment?

The initial session, called an intake interview, is typically scheduled by appointment. Call the Oasis Program at (520) 626-2051 or stop by room D301 Campus Health at Highland Commons (near 6th and Highland) to schedule an appointment. If your situation is an emergency, you may request to be seen immediately.