Counseling and Psychological Services

UC Santa Cruz

Students - FAQ

  1. Why do students contact CAPS?
  2. Who would I see if I made an appointment with CAPS?
  3. How do I make an appointment?
  4. What will happen at my first appointment?
  5. I heard there is a limit to how many counseling sessions I can have. Is this true? What is the limit?
  6. What are counseling groups anyway?
  7. Is what I tell my therapist confidential?
  8. What do I do if I cannot keep my appointment?
  9. Can I give someone feedback about my experiences with CAPS?
  10. What are Consultation and Outreach services?
  11. What about emergencies?
  12. Where will I go to see a Psychologist?
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  1. Why do students contact CAPS?

    Students contact Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for a variety of personal and academic reasons. They may be struggling with issues that interfere with personal and academic goals, such as: academic difficulties, stress, relationship problems, depression, anxiety, parent/family problems, test anxiety, procrastination, sexual difficulties, coping with illness, loss of a loved one, eating and body image struggles, drug and alcohol problems, and traumatic events. Our services are also available to students facing major developmental issues such as adjusting to college life as an undergraduate, the demands of graduate student life, career decisions, and other personal or interpersonal challenges.

  2. Who would I see if I made an appointment with CAPS?

    CAPS is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, licensed mental health providers, postdoctoral fellows, and predoctoral interns in psychology. In all cases, predoctoral interns and postdoctoral fellows are supervised by a licensed mental health professional. The staff of CAPS is diverse with respect to ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation and is also sensitive to issues of socioeconomic background and disability.

  3. How do I make an appointment?
    The way to make a first time appointment is to call at (831) 459-2628 and you will be assisted by one of the front office staff, at which time you will be given an appointment for a brief phone assessment by one of our CAPS staff. The CAPS Central Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m.. The other way to make an appointment with a specific CAPS staff member is to call that staff member directly - see CAPS Staff. It is the prerogative of the CAPS staff member either to accept the referral directly or to redirect to the CAPS Central Office.
  4. What will happen at my first counseling appointment?

    The first appointment with a Counseling Psychologist is for an assessment and consultation session. In this session the therapist will help the student define their issue(s) and then will make recommendations for how the student can best resolve the issues. This resolution may include individual counseling, group counseling, a referral to other on campus services, or a referral for off-campus counseling. The student may be referred to the another staff member of our service if the counseling psychologist feels that staff member is better suited to resolve the student’s issues.

  5. I heard there is a limit to how many counseling sessions I can have. Is this true? What is the limit?

    CAPS offers short-term or brief counseling to UCSC students. How long your therapy lasts depends on discussions with your therapist about your specific concerns. If your concerns require longer term therapy than we can provide, you will be given referrals to appropriate off campus counseling resources.

  6. What are counseling groups anyway?

    The staff of CAPS has found that a group setting provides the best learning environment for most of the problems that students have. We offer both general and specialized groups where students learn specific skills in a supportive environment. Students are able to practice these skills in the group and receive feedback and encouragement. Students may participate in a group or a series of groups for an entire year if they wish. Information and Guidelines on Counseling Groups are available from the central office or your therapist.

    For group information see Groups.

  7. Is what I tell my therapist confidential?

    Information that you communicate to a CAPS therapist is confidential. The fact that you are seeing a CAPS therapist does not appear on any academic records. Your identity is kept confidential from anyone outside our agency. Please note, however, that in a professional counseling agency, confidentiality means that psychologists consult with each other and Student Health Services providers as needed regarding any of their clients. We are also required to keep data on who we see, their year in college, their ethnicity, etc. This is necessary statistical information which affects our yearly funding.

    Your right to confidentiality is protected by law. However, there are certain circumstances regarding life threatening situations in which confidentiality may not be protected. These situations are child abuse, suicide, homicide, and cases involving individuals who are gravely disabled and unable to care for themselves. In such cases the psychologist may be legally required to make outside reports (where appropriate) of information obtained during counseling sessions. Fortunately, such situations are rare. If you would like further information on this subject, your psychologist will be glad to provide it for you.

  8. What do I do if I cannot keep my appointment?

    If you cannot keep a scheduled appointment, it is important that you give us as much notice as possible. We ask for at least 24 hours notice of a cancellation. You can do this by calling either the Central Office at 459-2628 or your counseling psychologist at their direct office number (for staff contact information see CAPS Staff). We ask for this notice so that we may reschedule other students into these unused hours. If you cancel an appointment without giving us at least 24 hours notice, there may be a significant delay in rescheduling your appointment.

  9. Can I give someone feedback about my experiences with CAPS?

    Every student will receive an evaluation form once they have used our service. Please take the time to complete the form and return it to the central counseling office in located at the Student Health Center in the new East Wing on the 2nd floor. This questionnaire is designed to provide direct feedback to each counseling psychologist and for the evaluation of our service in general. The evaluation form need not be signed and can be dropped in an on-campus mail box.

    If for any reason your experience with our service is not fully satisfactory, please contact the office of the Director of CAPS and communicate to us the nature of your concern. We want to hear from you.

  10. What are Consultation and Outreach services?

    Consultation and Outreach Services, a curriculum of educational programs, focus on student's developmental, situational, and/or lifestyle concerns. Structured groups and workshops are presented by the CAPS staff at various locations throughout the campus. Your counseling psychologist will be happy to provide more information on these programs or you can call the central counseling office at (831) 459-2628.

  11. What about emergencies?

    The main counseling office (831-459-2628) is in located at the Student Health Center in the new East Wing on the 2nd floor. Daytime Crisis Services are available during our normal business hours, Monday through Friday. Individuals who are severely distressed can call (831) 459-2628 for assistance or come to the Central Office at the Student Health Center or call CAPS at (831) 459-2628.

    After-hours CAPS Crisis Services are abailable for psychological crisis assessment, consultation and intervention during evening and weekend hours. Individuals seeking this service can call (831) 459-2628 for assistance.

    After 5 PM, on weekends, and holidays, please contact any of the following numbers:

    • Suicide Prevention 458-5300 or 1-877-663-5433
    • Santa Cruz County Mental Health Services 1-800-952-2335 (for hospitalization screening)
    • Emergency 911 (for life threatening emergencies or transportation)
  12. Where will I go to see a Psychologist?

    CAPS staff are situated in various locations on campus, including the Colleges, Family Student Housing, and the Student Health Center, East Wing, Please see the CAPS staff link for information regarding the CAPS staff. Our central office, where crisis services are provided, is located in located at the Student Health Center in the new East Wing on the 2nd floor.

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Counseling and Psychological Services

Student Health Center,
East Wing 2nd Floor
UC Santa Cruz
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Phone: (831) 459-2628

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