{"id":3047,"date":"2024-08-29T16:06:08","date_gmt":"2024-08-29T21:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/counseling-center\/?page_id=3047"},"modified":"2026-03-02T14:09:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T20:09:41","slug":"lets-talk-frequently-asked-questions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/counseling-center\/lets-talk-frequently-asked-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s Talk \u2013 Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

What is \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d is a program that provides a 15-20 minute in-person confidential consultation with a counselor from the St. Olaf Counseling Center.\u00a0 Let\u2019s Talk is offered Monday thru Thursday 3:00-4:00pm. On Mondays it is at the Taylor Center and Tuesday thru Thursday it is at the Counseling Center.\u00a0 The counselor will listen closely to your concerns and provide support, perspective, and suggestions for resources.\u00a0 Let\u2019s Talk is a drop-in service that is first come, first served and is offered currently at the Counseling Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens at a visit to \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The counselor will listen closely to your concerns and provide support, perspective, and suggestions for resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d different from the Counseling Center?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Counselors at the Counseling Center provide ongoing counseling, which usually consists of bi-weekly 45-50 minute appointments.  \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d is not formal counseling:  it is a drop-in service where students can have an informal consultation with a counselor from time to time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who should visit \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This service is open to all St. Olaf students.  \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d is the best fit for the following people:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. students who are not sure about counseling and wonder what it\u2019s like to talk with a counselor<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. students who are not interested in ongoing counseling but would like the perspective of a counselor<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. students who have a specific problem and would like someone with whom to talk it through<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. students who have a concern about a friend and want some thoughts about what to do<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    I think I have a problem that would benefit from counseling, but I don\u2019t know anything about counseling.  Would going to \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d help me figure out what to do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    *Absolutely.  The counselor will talk through your issue with you and help you determine the best way to get help.  If you feel comfortable with the counselor, it\u2019s sometimes possible to meet with him or her at the Counseling Center in an ongoing way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I called the Counseling Center and scheduled an appointment 10 days from now.  Can I stop by \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d in the meantime?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    *If you believe you need to be seen sooner than the appointment you were given, it\u2019s best to call the Counseling Center directly and explain your situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A counselor at the Counseling Center recommended a referral to a therapist in Northfield.  Can I go to \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d instead?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    *Since regular counseling visits are not available at \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d, following up with the referral is a good idea.  Unfortunately the Counseling Center cannot provide ongoing counseling to every student who requests it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I am currently seeing a counselor at the Counseling Center, and I would like to talk to someone sooner than my next appointment.  Can I go to \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    *If your next appointment is not soon enough, it\u2019s best to contact the counseling center to see if he or she can see you sooner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m currently seeing a counselor at the Counseling Center, and I\u2019m not happy with how things are going.  Can I go to \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d instead?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    *The best thing to do in this situation is to talk directly with your counselor.  Counselors are eager to get your feedback, positive or negative.  Often, an open conversation about your concern helps smooth out any wrinkles.  If, after talking with your counselor, you prefer to transfer to someone else, just ask your counselor directly or contact the Counseling Center to schedule with another counselor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What else do I need to know?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    *Although Let\u2019s Talk counselors are professionals, Let\u2019s Talk is not a substitute for psychotherapy or formal counseling and does not constitute mental health treatment.  Let\u2019s Talk counselors provide informal consultations to help students with specific problems and to introduce them to what it\u2019s like to speak with a counselor.  Your Let\u2019s Talk counselor can help you determine whether formal counseling at the Counseling Center would be useful for you and, if appropriate, assist you in scheduling an appointment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s Talk visits are confidential.  Are there any limits to confidentiality?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    *Conversations with Let\u2019s Talk counselors are confidential, with a few very rare exceptions.  Counselors may need to share information in an emergency when there is an immediate threat of harm to self or others.  Counselors are required by law to report when a minor, elderly person, or someone otherwise incapacitated and unable to act on his\/her own behalf is being abused.  Let\u2019s Talk counselors keep brief written notes of their contacts with students, and in the event that there is an emergency or a student is referred to the Counseling Center, other Counseling Center staff may see these notes.  Finally, these notes can be released in the unlikely event of a court order.  Let\u2019s Talk visits are never noted on a student\u2019s official college record. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We don\u2019t want anything to be a barrier to students accessing help.  If you have further questions about confidentiality, we encourage you to discuss them with a Let\u2019s Talk counselor or contact the Counseling Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Let<\/em>‘s Talk program at St. Olaf College is based in part on the Let’s Talk program at Cornell University.  With permission, some of the material describing this program has been duplicated from the Cornell University Let’s Talk website.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What is \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d? \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d is a program that provides a 15-20 minute in-person confidential consultation with a counselor from the St. Olaf Counseling Center.\u00a0 Let\u2019s Talk is offered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4574,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3047","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/counseling-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/counseling-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/counseling-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/counseling-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4574"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/counseling-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3047"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/counseling-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3047\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3335,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/counseling-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3047\/revisions\/3335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/counseling-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}