Counseling
The Telehealth Counseling Clinic at ULM
Welcome to the ULM Telehealth Counseling Clinic homepage. The ULM Telehealth Counseling Clinic offers no-cost online counseling services to Louisiana residents 18 years of age and older. The ULM Telehealth Counseling Clinic is staffed by counselors-in-training who are in the practicum and internship semesters within the master’s level Counseling Program at ULM. They have received graduate-level training in providing counseling for concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression, life transitions, grief and loss, and trauma.
Please learn more about the Telehealth Counseling Clinic by clicking on the dropdown links below.
What is the Telehealth Counseling Clinic?
The Telehealth Counseling Clinic serves as a training facility for graduate students in the Counseling Program at ULM and as a free community mental health resource for Louisiana residents.
How does the Telehealth Counseling Clinic work?
While the Telehealth Counseling Clinic is a part of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, there is no onsite facility on campus. The professors, supervisors, and administrative coordinators work remotely from all over the United States.
Are my sessions secure and confidential being online?
Yes. Counselors-in-training utilize a HIPAA compliant video/audio platform to conduct all sessions (to learn more about HIPAA, click here). As students are in training, all sessions will be recorded and stored in a HIPAA compliant manner. A portion of these recordings may be shared in clinical supervision to help the counselor-in-training hone their skills and to provide guidance for them on how to best help you. All recordings will be deleted at the end of each semester.
Who supervises the counselors-in-training?
Dr. Sarah Tucker is a professor in the Counseling Program and serves as the Clinic Director of the Telehealth Counseling Clinic. She oversees and coordinates all daily operations, supervises faculty and staff, and develops long and short-term goals of the clinic. Dr. Michelle Dobson is a professor in the Counseling Program and serves as the Clinic Supervisor of the Telehealth Counseling Clinic. She provides weekly triadic supervision for all counselors-in-training who work with clients in the clinic. They are both LPC licensed, trained in clinical supervision, and engaged in their own clinical practice. In addition, the Telehealth Counseling Clinic has the support of all of the Counseling faculty in the Counseling Program at ULM.
What will happen during my first session with a counselor?
The first counseling session will be completing some brief paperwork and beginning your intake assessment. The intake assessment gives your counselor a chance to get to know you and what is bringing you to counseling. They will ask you many questions about several parts of your life (click here to view the biopsychosocial assessment) and ensure that the services they can provide are a best fit for your needs. In addition, you will have a chance to determine if your counselor will be the best fit for you. This first session will be about an hour and a half.
What about after the first session, what then?
After your intake assessment, if you want to proceed you will set up another appointment with your counselor (typically the next week). We recommend starting with weekly appointments and as time goes on moving to every other week. Counseling sessions are 50-minutes in length.
How do I go about setting up an appointment?
To schedule an appointment, please utilize the online appointment request feature through our secure client portal, found at: https://ulmcounselingclinic.sessionshealth.com