Welcome and good luck in your studies!

Given that she is employed by a University counseling center, I don't think you need worry about her licensing. You can check her status on the Counseling Center's web-site, or call and speak to the Center Director for an explanation. You can also check to see if the Center is APA accredited (at a large University, it probably is). Since she has a PhD, she is likely accumulating practice hours in order to qualify for licensing. This is the normal procedure. Legally, she is practicing under the Center's license, and as such, she also is supervised. Such positions are highly competitive, so I would not worry about her general competence.

Whether or not she is the right therapist for you, is a different matter. The web-site of the Center usually has profiles of staff members where you can check on specialties. While depression/anxiety, young adult and student issues will be a focus (and given how over-burdened most Univ counseling services are, they will be a specialty), it doesn't mean there will not be staff whose experience is more general than such a focus. For better or worse, over the last 15 years there has been a significant increase in the number of students seeking health services at Universities, and a related increase in the seriousness/ chronic nature of health concerns presented (both mental and physical health). This has really forced Universities to broaden and deepen their facilities and staff expertise. At my former University, in the town in which I still live, the Health center is fully accredited as an urgent care facility that offers comprehensive services.


Meet with her and see what you think. You can always request a change at any time if you believe she isn't meeting your needs. Some Centers have a limit on the number of available sessions, some do not. There are likely to be a number of staff pre and post intern with MA degree certifications, a lesser number with PhDs, one or more full-time or consultant psychiatrists. The fact that you were assigned a PhD level counselor after in-take suggests to me that they agreed that your case may be more complicated than simple student adjustment issues.

My former PhD therapist many years ago was at my University center and was very accomplished. I later switched to his private practice when I was no longer eligible as a student. Advantages of seeing a therapist at a Univ center, especially one that is APA accredited, is that there is a high level of accountability/supervision; also, as many hold, in addition, academic appointments, there is a research/professional expectation, so most staff will be current in their field.