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Counselor Training Clinic FAQ


The Counselor Training Clinic (CTC) is an outpatient counseling facility housed within the Bailey Education Complex and the Claxton Complex on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, that’s available for free to students of the university. The CTC is operated by students of the Counselor Education program within the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling and supervised by faculty within the Counselor Education programs.

CTC counselors are a mix of master’s-level counselors in training and doctoral-level professional counselors. All counselors have completed the necessary coursework to begin working with clients, have active liability insurance, and adhere to the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics.

At this time, the CTC offers counseling services free of charge.

All students currently enrolled at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who are over the age of 18 are eligible to be seen by a counselor.  In addition to full time residential students, we welcome part time and distance education students who reside in Tennessee.

Visit our What is a Professional Counselor page to find out more about the different kinds of helping professions.

The CTC schedules clients based on counselor and client availability and typically operates Monday-Friday 8am-5pm. You can request appointments via the website 24 hours a day or via phone call Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.  The CTC has limited after hours appointments available to meet the needs of clients who are unavailable during typical operating hours.  We aim to return calls within 24 business hours. Please note that the CTC is closed on all university holidays.

If we are unable to answer your call please leave a message. State the nature of your call and clearly indicate whether or not the CTC may leave a message on your voicemail.  While we aim to return all calls within 24 hours, there may be a time when this is not possible. If you feel that you cannot wait for a callback, please call the Student Counseling Center at 865-974-2196 or 911 if it is an emergency.

The CTC does not prescribe medication. If appropriate, the CTC can make a referral to the Student Counseling Center for a medication evaluation.

We will work with you to understand your mental health from a holistic perspective.  Sometimes that might mean discussing a diagnostic impression with you, but we do not officially diagnose or provide external parties with a diagnosis for any purpose.  We know sometimes a diagnosis can be integral to accessing accommodations, disability, or other resources and we are happy to connect you with other services that can provide you these services.

All counselors and staff of the CTC are bound by ethical and legal responsibilities to maintain the confidentiality of information shared between counselors and clients. Counselor notes and client records are filed securely and only accessible to members of the CTC. The CTC will not disclose your personal information or anything discussed in counseling to anyone working outside the CTC.

There are several very important exceptions to these rules. Counselors and staff of the CTC have the legal and ethical responsibility to maintain your safety and the safety of others. We are legally obligated to disclose information to other professionals if:

  • You disclose an active intent to harm yourself or anyone else;
  • You disclose abuse or neglect (physical, sexual, or emotional) of a child or another individual who cannot care for themselves; or
  • We receive a court-ordered subpoena requiring the release of our records.

Every counselor working at the CTC practices under the supervision of the faculty of the Counselor Education program, the clinic coordinator, and/or the assistant clinic coordinator. Your counselor may need to discuss their work with you in supervision in order to continue providing you the best possible service. Your counselor will make every effort to maintain your privacy. Please note that every student, counselor in training, counselor, and faculty member of the Counselor Education program is bound by the same ethical responsibilities concerning confidentiality.

If you have any questions about confidentiality at the CTC, please speak with your counselor. You may also call 865-974-9291 to speak with the CTC staff directly.