Making an Appointment
Psychological services are provided at no charge to registered students. There is a limit to the number of individual counseling sessions for any student in any given year. After your first appointment you and your therapist will determine what is the most helpful plan for you.
To arrange an appointment, you may telephone (562) 908-3438 or come to the center, which is located on the second floor, Student Services Building, Room SS230. The front Office Coordinator will offer you the first available appointment times and a session will be scheduled for you to speak with a therapist as soon as possible. It is best to call the center as early as possible in the semester if you anticipate that you may want a series of counseling sessions. For some students the therapist may determine that the best option is to provide a referral to an off campus agency and for others the plan may be to begin short-term counseling sessions.
Missed and Canceled Appointments
There are times when appointments may need to be canceled or missed. Please make a courteous effort to call the office with at least 24 hours notice to cancel a scheduled appointment. If it is not possible to cancel with 24 hours notice, due to an unforeseen circumstance, please call anyway to inform your therapist that you will not be able to come to your appointment. After two missed appointments in a row your regular appointment will be taken off the schedule and you may have to go back to the bottom of the waiting list to get another appointment. We have a very small staff and many students to serve, therefore we ask that you respectfully follow these guidelines.
First Appointment “Intake”
Plan to arrive fifteen minutes before your scheduled appointment to complete necessary paperwork. During your first visit, a therapist will listen to your concerns, explore options with you, and help you identify an appropriate course of action to best meet your needs.
Individual Appointments
Counseling appointments begin on the hour and last 45 minutes. You can help us provide the best possible service by arriving on time for your appointments and by canceling or rescheduling appointments with 24-hour advance notice.
Crisis Appointments
Psychological services are usually offered on an appointment basis; however, circumstances may arise that need more immediate attention. If you have an urgent situation, call Student Health & Psychological Services at (562) 908-3438 and ask to be seen for a crisis appointment. Crisis counseling may be appropriate if you are:
- Having thoughts of harming yourself
- Having thoughts of harming someone else
- Experiencing a traumatic event or loss
- Experiencing extreme anxiety or panic
- Having odd or intrusive thoughts
After Hours Care for Psychological Emergencies
On Campus:
RHC Security at (562) 908-3490
Off Campus:
911 or 211 for referral for Psychiatric Services in your area
LA Dept. of Mental Health: 1-800-854-7771 (for mobile response team)
College Hospital, Cerritos: 1-800-352-3301
