The Counseling Center provides free, confidential, counseling services to enrolled students. Most students' counseling needs can be readily addressed by the center's professional staff, which includes psychologists, therapists, carefully selected and supervised trainees from doctoral programs in clinical and counseling psychology, and a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Please Note
The Counseling Center offers psychological counseling and not academic advising. If you are hoping to schedule academic advising, please make an appointment with your preceptor, or your advisor in the appropriate school. If you aren't sure who your advisor is, please see the links below.
Please see the following information for:
Services Offered
Group counseling is an ideal form of treatment for students who can benefit from the support of others who have similar concerns, or who want to improve their social skills. Learn more about the center’s current groups by visiting our Group Therapy and Support Groups web page. You may also consult with one of the center’s counselors in deciding which group will best meet your needs.
Many students participate in time-limited individual counseling, which typically involves attending weekly, 45-50 minute counseling sessions to address specific concerns. The duration of treatment varies according to students’ needs, but counselors work to provide relatively brief treatment in order to offer services to as many students as possible. The frequency of sessions may increase during a time a acute crisis or decrease as counseling tapers off. Many students address their concerns after attending a few sessions, while others require significantly more. During our busiest times—which typically occur towards the end of each semester—the center may have limited capacity to provide ongoing counseling services, but consultations are always available (see "How to Access Services", below). During these busiest times, students who don’t require immediate treatment may be offered a range of options, including a referral to the community. The center maintains an extensive community referral list, including private and public mental health providers who offer low cost and “sliding scale” services.
Counseling Center staff offer consultations for students, faculty, staff, and families concerned about a student. These consultations can take the form of a telephone conversation or a face-to-face appointment. The sorts of concerns addressed in such consultations include how to refer a student to the center, how to help a student in crisis, etc.
The center staff includes a psychiatric nurse practitioner to provide brief psychiatric consultation and services. If treatment with psychotropic medication is indicated, the psychiatric nurse practitioner may initiate psychiatric treatment and then refer students for continued psychiatric care in the community. Given the limited psychiatric services available at the center, the psychiatric nurse practitioner is not positioned to offer emergency or long-term services (for example, supervision of medication to treat an attention disorder).
Students requiring specialized, longer-term, court-mandated, or other treatment that falls beyond the scope of the center’s services will be referred to treatment providers in the community who can meet their needs. The center has contacts with a wide range of community treatment providers, including some who offer low-cost services or charge for services on a sliding scale. Students lacking their own means of transportation to community providers can work with their counselor to identify other transportation options, including public transportation (bus/trolley), use of the ZipCars on campus, and use of taxi or Ride-Share apps or other similar services. Depending on the circumstances, counselors may continue to meet with students as students establish treatment in the community, and may request students’ permission to collaborate with community providers in meeting students’ treatment needs.
How to Access Services
The easiest way to secure services is by logging in to MyWellness Portal at https://mywellness.sandiego.edu with your MySanDiego username and password. This portal can be accessed via any computer or smartphone that offers access to the Internet. *Please note that online scheduling is for first-time clients only. For returning clients, please call the Counseling Center office at 619-260-4655 to schedule an appointment or send a secure message via MyWellness Portal at https://mywellness.sandiego.edu.
- If this is your first time securing Student Wellness services for the academic year you should begin by clicking the “Forms” tab and completing your Consent to Receive Services and Health History forms.
- Next click on profile, update your contact information, and select your mobile carrier to receive a text reminder. Please note that a text message reminder will be sent automatically to the phone number listed on your MyWellness Portal 2 hours prior to your initial appointment.
- Next, you can click on the Appointments tab and follow the instructions to arrange for an initial appointment at the Counseling Center.
- After you schedule your appointment you will be asked to complete a brief questionnaire. You will receive a call from an unknown/block number or a secure message via MyWellness Portal with a secure link for your "Zoom HealthCare" at the time of your telehealth appointment.
- If you have any problems identifying a same- or next-day appointment at the Counseling Center that will work for you, please call the Counseling Center (619-260-4655).
- Please arrive early for your initial appointment so that you will have time to complete two additional, brief assessment questionnaires before your actual appointment.
- Once your appointment starts a counselor will assess your concerns and help you decide the next steps. For example, the counselor may identify a support group that would work for you, or may arrange for you to begin counseling at the Counseling Center or in the community, or may arrange for a psychiatric evaluation, all depending on what makes the most sense given your concerns.
Urgent and Emergency Services
- A counselor-on call is available to consult about after-hours urgent psychological concerns at all times. The counselor-on call can be reached by calling (619) 260-4655 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Please contact the Department of Public Safety to access emergency services (x2222 on any campus telephone, otherwise call 619-260-2222).
- The 24-hour San Diego Access and Crisis Line (1-888-724-7240) also offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals.
Please note
If you have any feedback regarding clinical services please email wellness@sandiego.edu.