March Rising Star: Dr. Andrew Rhein

Uwill’s Monthly Rising Star is a new program that acknowledges one counselor every month who has “shined bright” in their first year at Uwill.

Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Rhein! In his first year with Uwill, Andrew has completed over 400 sessions across the 42 PSYPACT states.

Check out our interview with Andrew to learn more about what brought him to Uwill, the lessons he has learned through his work, and his advice for students looking to try therapy for the first time.

What excites you the most about working with Uwill?
The easiest answer is that I really like working with college-aged and grad students. I’ve been a psychologist for over 25 years and I have worked with people of all different ages and I love it. I mean, I like the whole age span, but the sweet spot for me has been college students and grad students. So when I was looking to do that, Uwill came up as a platform that just sort of is all over the place in terms of colleges they are partnered with. I think there’s over 400 colleges that you’re serving in the States and abroad. So, that’s what made me seek out working with Uwill.

Because of the breadth of the cross-section of schools you’re working with, it’s not just one type of college student. You’re working with big state schools, small liberal arts colleges, Ivies, and just all different types of young adults on the platform. So, I really do like that cross-section. It’s a lot of different looks.

Can you illustrate the importance of a student being able to access a platform like you will?
I think counseling should be for everybody. So it doesn’t have to be just someone who’s got a diagnosis or is dealing with a crisis. I think anybody who wants to access a counselor should be able to. And the fact is, college counseling centers across the US are overwhelmed. So even someone with a diagnosis, even someone in crisis, is having a hard time making an appointment, let alone someone who’s not dealing with either of those things and just wants to talk through life, this type of platform allows a lot more students to have access to a therapist and I think that’s a great thing. In an ideal world, college counseling centers could field all of the interest that they have. But the reality is they’re greatly overwhelmed. And I spoke to a lot of students who say “I came to Uwill because I couldn’t get to a counselor for a few months out” but they get to see me or someone else on the platform right away. 

What is the most important lesson you have learned through your work?
I have a lot of formal training and I went to school for a really long time. I’ve been working as a psychologist in schools for a really long time. And all that training is great. I lean on all of that training and I’m proud of it but I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that the most important things that I need to focus on are being present, being authentic, being warm, empathic, and using common sense. The formal training is great and I need it and I use it. But at the end of the day, common sense and just being a real authentic human being is just as important. And that’s something that has stuck with me in this process.

Would you recommend working with Uwill to a colleague?
I would and I have! There’s a simplicity to it that I really like and if you like working with this population and you’re looking for flexibility it’s a good platform to be on. Uwill really is involved in a lot of different schools across the country and abroad and if you’re anything like me and you are looking to do this type of work because you find it compelling but you have a schedule that’s always changing and really busy, it really does help.

Do you have any advice for students that may be looking to try therapy for the first time?
I’d say just do it! When I was a kid, I would not have gone to a therapist. I had this imagination about what it would be from either books or movies or pop culture. And none of that is accurate. Now that I’m actually doing it and I’ve been doing this for a while I really see the value in therapy for anyone. Whether you have a diagnosis, whether it’s a crisis, whatever; Just talking to a neutral, empathic, trained person can be transformative. So I think if someone’s wondering about it, come on in and see for yourself.

To learn more about becoming a counselor with Uwill, click on the link below.

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