Office of Student Care
Counseling is a professional relationship that helps you clarify issues, discover your true thoughts and feelings and deal effectively with problems. The GCU Office of Student Care can support students as they enhance their strengths, develop, grow and learn in their personal and academic lives. We offer short-term, solution-focused individual, group and crisis counseling to full-time on-campus students.
Due to the current restrictions related to COVID-19; Virtual Counseling Sessions will be utilized. We would love to support you in your journey. If you need assistance or need to speak with a counselor, call 602-639-7007 or email [email protected].
Our Mission
The mission of the Office of Student Care is to provide quality professional care in an environment that recognizes the inherent value and dignity of each person.
Our Vision
- We demonstrate relational equity with our student population through embracing inclusivity.
- We demonstrate relational equity through investing in the community.
- We demonstrate relational equity through thinking holistically.
Hours
Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm
Contact Us
602-639-7007
[email protected]
Student Affairs | Building 26, Second Floor
Additional Resources
We do recognize that several of our students will need longer term or a more specialized type of care and we have a strong network of community providers to offer. See the list of referrals below.
- BetterHelp: E-counseling platform.
- Talkspace: Connect with a licensed therapist from anywhere.
- Psychology Today: Explore articles on essential topics.
- ULifeline.org: Self-help information with a Self e-Valuator (online assessment), drug database and mental health library.
- Help Guide: General self-help organized by topic.
- Psychology Topics and Help Center: Resources from the American Psychological Association.
Minor Consent
For students under the age of 18, state law requires parental consent prior to treatment. Both parent signatures must be notarized and include the Notary Public’s Commission Number and Notary Public’s Official Seal using the Consent to Treat Minor form (link below). The link is proved below.
The Office of Student Care is here to support students as they make the most of their GCU experience. Follow these simple steps to schedule an appointment in our office:
Step 1:
If you are ready to make an appointment you can contact our office by emailing: [email protected], calling 602-639-7007, or coming to our office located in the Student Life building 26 (southeast corner of the second floor) to fill out paperwork. The required forms are also linked below.
*Instructions for the Intake Consent Form: Please open and complete the attached Intake Consent Form using Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.
WARNING: Applications other than Adobe Acrobat Reader DC will alter the format of the form and will not display your information properly upon return. If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Adobe please call GCU Student Tech Support at 602-639-7200 or you may come to the Office of Student Care in the Student Life Building 26 to complete in person.
Step 2:
After your paperwork has been completed you may return the documents to the Office of Student Care, or email the file to [email protected]. In your return email please include your preferred availability for your initial appointment, providing a few days and times. When providing your availability please note the Office of Student Care hours are Monday – Friday from 8 am – 5 pm and closed daily from noon – 1 pm daily.
Upon receipt and review of the completed paperwork, a Student Care representative will confirm via email your scheduled appointment time or request additional information prior to scheduling your appointment.
Benefits of Making an Appointment with Student Care
The GCU Office of Student Care offers short-term, solution-focused counseling free of charge to traditional campus students.
Consultation:
The first appointment will be a consultation and these appointments are available daily on a first-come, first-served basis. This 30-minute confidential conversation will be with a licensed professional counselor. During the appointment, the therapist will come to a better understanding of your concerns and how the GCU Office of Student Care may be of most help to you. At the end of this first appointment, a plan will be developed which best meets your needs, and may include individual counseling, group counseling or a referral to another professional in the Phoenix area.
After your consultation, potential future appointments may look like the following. Individual and group counseling session are detailed below.
Individual Counseling:
Your individual counseling session is a one-on-one conversation between you and a licensed professional counselor that lasts 45 to 55 minutes. This conversation is confidential for the purpose of support, personal growth and skills to help you cope with life's difficulties.
Group Counseling:
Group counseling is a 45- to 55- minute meeting with peers to discuss common struggles. This group session is facilitated by a licensed professional counselor or qualified graduate intern to offer support and learn new ways of coping.
Referrals:
In certain situations, individuals may require services outside the scope of the Office of Student Care. In these cases a list will be provided of professionals in the Phoenix area.
Individual and Group Counseling Scope of Practice
A short-term counseling model has been incorporated in order to meet the needs of the student body on campus and is provided by licensed mental health professionals and supervised graduate student trainees. As a general rule of practice, students will be seen on a bi-weekly or monthly basis - the specific frequency is determined by the provider of services. Services will be initiated with an initial consultation session with a primary emphasis on group or individual counseling as warranted by the needs of the student. Psychoeducation material will be provided for those students with milder stress management and resiliency needs.
The Office of Student Care services include:
- Crisis intervention, safety intervention and consultation
- Assessing and/or providing counseling for such concerns as anxiety, depression, loneliness, identity issues, mild alcohol/drug abuse, eating concerns, stress management, relationship needs, family stress, loss, homesickness, collegiate transition and phase of life stressors, personal growth and development, spirituality and improving academic performance
- Exploring career options for students who are ambivalent or need guidance with making the best choices for their lives which entails emotional support and guidance as opposed to aptitude assessment which is reserved for formal career counseling
- Supporting students who are recovering from sudden traumatic events such as sexual assault, harassment, stalking and Title IX issues 4
- Referred-based supports from Student Affairs or the Behavioral Intervention Team for issues including but not limited to, violations of the community standards, danger to self, danger to others and concerning or disruptive behaviors
- Assessing and making appropriate referrals for students who need more intensive therapeutic services with resources in the outside community
- Long-term counseling: The Office of Student Care does not provide services for chronic acute psychiatric needs that warrant intensive out-patient concerns and case management
- Legal and health assessments: The Office of Student Care does not provide services for legal compulsory recommendations with a court of law or criminal probation issues. The Of4ice of Student Care does not sanction service animals or disability concerns that need clearance for issues such as medications or surgical needs
- Assessments for employment: The Office of Student Care does not provide assessment services such as suitability for employment for private or governmental bodies (CIA, FBI, military, etc.) or volunteer organizations (Peace Corps, etc.)
- Substance abuse assessments: The Office of Student Care does not provide assessment services for substance abuse
There may be times when you need immediate help. Suicidal thoughts and actions are common among young adults. While not all suicidal thoughts lead to action, these symptoms should be taken seriously and addressed quickly. If you or a friend is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please use the following crisis resources:
- If you believe you are facing an immediate, life-threatening emergency, call 911 or Public Safety at 602-639-8100.
- If you are experiencing a crisis that is not immediately life-threatening, come to the Office of Student Care and request to see a crisis therapist.
- Crisis therapists are available Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm.
- Outside of these hours, please call Public Safety at 602-639-8100.
- If you would like to utilize community resources, call the La Frontera Empact Crisis Line at 480-784-1500 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255.
- EMPACT - Suicide Prevention Line: 480-736-4950
- Public Safety and these community crisis resources are available to you 24 hours per day, seven days per week.