A student threw his paper at me demanding that I “fix it.” He could not admit the struggles he faced with writing and the university, juggling a tough schedule, feeling disconnected from his peers and professors, and constantly having his flaws magnified. He did not believe he needed help with his writing and thought he was unjustly forced to meet with me weekly. By discussing the demands placed on him both inside and outside the university, we were able to lay everything out on the table. He needed to vent and deal with other problems before he could confront his writing. Once a level of trust was developed, the sessions became easier and we could turn our focus to his writing. Without taking the time to establish trust, the barriers he constructed would never have been dismantled. Through our discussions, he realized I was not only concerned with his writing, but with him as a person ; University Writing Center