Responsibilities that master's and doctoral level clinicians may be able to have at the Counseling Center include individual counseling, initial appointment evaluations, group services, case management, outreach activities, consultation services, walk-ins/crisis, and emergency on-calls relating to concerns about a student from NDSU faculty, staff, or student’s parents, etc.

All activities are based on the graduate student clinician skill, experience, interest and center availability.

Individual Counseling - On-going individual sessions on a weekly or bi-weekly basis with undergraduate, graduate, international, transfer, incoming or returning students with a variety of presenting concerns and clinical presentations (e.g., depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, trauma, ADHD, academic and career concerns, relationship concerns, family concerns, identity development, adjustment and transition concerns), with no session number limits. Use of telehealth in cases where necessary/appropriate (via Microsoft Teams). Assessment for safety is important in all the above interactions.

Initial Appointment Assessments – New clients are assigned based on suitability for the graduate student clinicians' current level of skill and experience. Interns may conduct initial appointment evaluations after observing a supervisor conduct an initial assessment following orientation week. 

Case Management – Under the supervision of the Counseling Center's Referral Coordinator, graduate student clinicians may provide assistance to students in finding resources on or off-campus regarding a variety of needs, including mental health referrals.

Group Co-Facilitation/Facilitation - There are opportunities to serve as the leader or co-leader from skills-based, support, and process-oriented therapy groups  (e.g. (for example, Mindfulness, Meditation, Graduate Student Support Group, Health Concerns Support Group, Art Therapy Group, Understanding Self & Others Group, Pawsitive Relaxation with the Therapy Dogs, New to NDSU Support Group, Survivor’s Support Group, Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Support Group, Men’s Group, and Diversity, Solidarity and Empowerment Group).Trainees may also create a new group to facilitate solo, with a graduate trainee peer, or with a staff member).

Outreach Mental Health Work - Opportunities to present to groups of students in residence halls, Greek houses, classes, as part of Athletic Academics, etc. on topics relevant to student mental health (for example, stress management, time management, managing test anxiety, suicide awareness & prevention, self-care, managing relationship concerns, etc.). Outreach can be done solo, with a graduate trainee peer, or staff member.

Emergency On-Call Work - Graduate trainees & permanent staff members pair up to take on-call duty (5:00PM – 8:00AM during the week & all weekend) about twice per semester. Training is provided. Situations are most often managed using phone consultation.

Consultation with Other Service Providers - Graduate students have the opportunity to work closely with other offices on campus and in the community, such as NDSU Student Health Services, NDSU Disability Services, Prairie St. John’s, Sanford, The Village, Essentia Health, etc.