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Student Health and Counseling Center

What to Expect

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers a safe place for you to express your thoughts, feelings and concerns. Sometimes not knowing what to expect can stop us from reaching out. The role of the Student Health and Counseling Center at Fresno State is to provide short term mental health counseling and related services to help Fresno State students identify barriers, improve coping, and achieve personal and academic goals.

Attending your first counseling appointment is similar to attending your first doctors appointment! 

Below is a comprehensive list of information, including our scope of work, limitations, and information regarding eligibilty and more. 

For any additional questions regarding our counseling and psychological services, please call 559.278.2734 or complete our interest form. 

  • Must be currently enrolled and have paid the Health Fee.
  • Eligible students can schedule an initial appointment.
  • After the first meeting, you and your counselor will decide the most appropriate follow-up care (brief individual counseling, group counseling, or off-campus referral).

Schedule by calling 559-278-2734 or visiting the Student Health and Counseling Center.

  • Before your appointment, you’ll receive an email with instructions for completing required forms, including our Informed Consent Form. (allow 20 to 30 minutes).
  • Your counselor reviews your forms beforehand.
  • Sessions last about 45 to 50 minutes, are confidential, and focus on understanding your concerns and experiences.
  • At the end of the session, your counselor will recommend treatment options:
    • Brief individual counseling
    • Group counseling
    • Skill-building workshops
    • Community referrals, if needed.
  • Follow-up care and session frequency are guided by the Clinical Care Tier Process to ensure you receive the most appropriate level of support.

If you believe you might benefit from what our counseling and psychological services team has to offer, we encourage you to take that first step and schedule an initial consultation. 

CAPS provides short-term counseling for common college-related concerns, including:

  • Mood & personal concerns: anxiety, depression, loneliness, grief, self-esteem
  • Relationships: partners, roommates, teammates, classmates, family
  • Developmental concerns: identity exploration, transitions, adjustment
  • Academic concerns: motivation, test anxiety, perfectionism
  • Other: trauma, assault

Some needs fall outside the scope of what CAPS can provide. In these cases, referrals to community providers may be recommended.

Examples include:

  • Need for weekly or long-term counseling
  • Need for specialized or intensive treatment
  • Inappropriate, harassing, threatening, or violent behavior toward staff

Important:

  1. CAPS does not provide ADHD assessments. See our ADHD Policy 
  2. If you need an ADHD evaluation, your counselor can help you explore community options.
  3. For information on Letters for Medical Excuses and Accommodations, click here. 

If you feel another counselor may be a better fit, you are welcome to request a change.

To change counselors, please complete the Change of Counselor Form, available at the Student Health and Counseling Center front desk.

Students who need mental health support during our business hours (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.) please call the Student Health and Counseling Center at 559.278.2734.

If students feel they need immediate mental health support, they may be seen for a Mental Health Triage visit. Students will be seen by a counselor in person or through Zoom within one hour of arrival.

You may access after-hours mental health support during moments of crisis for brief solution-focused support when you call 559.278.2734 outside of our business hours, during holidays and weekends. Press 2 when prompted to speak with a mental health counselor. Please be advised, the after-hours counselor is not a University employee and cannot make or change appointments, or answer any questions related to the Student Health and Counseling Center. 

Students experiencing a mental health crisis outside of business hours can call 911 or go to: 

Exodus Crisis Stabilization Center
4411 E. Kings Canyon Rd.
Fresno, CA 93702
559.453.1008

Students can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 988. 

Learn more by visiting our Mental Health Triage webpage.