Parent Information

Welcome to GCU! The Office of Student Care is here to support your student’s mental health as they begin and progress through their college journey.

The Grand Canyon University Office of Student Care offers short-term, solution-focused psychoeducational programs, individual, group and crisis counseling to traditional full-time, on-campus students. All our counselors are state-licensed or qualified graduate interns.

It is common for students to experience feelings of homesickness, anxiety, stress, loneliness, depression, grief and loss, while also having difficulty with creating community, making decisions or struggling with their self-worth. Counseling can help your student clarify issues, discover their worth and identify and process their thoughts and feelings to help them navigate through the transitions of college life.

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Appointments

Students over the age of 18 can visit the GCU Office of Student Care located in Building 26, 2nd Floor to complete intake paperwork and schedule an appointment. A consultation appointment will be scheduled with one of our licensed providers or qualified graduate interns to assess and navigate which of our services best meet your student’s needs. Your student’s appointments and sessions will remain confidential.

In certain situations, students may require services outside the scope of the Office of Student Care. In these cases, a list will be provided of on-campus or off-campus resources to meet your student’s needs. While we attempt to take into consideration limitations regarding finances and transportation, referrals and recommendations are based on clinical criteria and scope of practice. It will be your student’s responsibility to follow through with the recommendations provided that most appropriately meet their needs.

You can encourage your student by pointing them to the Traditional Students link on our Student Care page.

You can also look into student health insurance, which offers medical and mental health coverage, as an option for off-campus counseling in Arizona and your student’s home state. If you think this may be a good option for your student, you can contact the Canyon Health and Wellness Clinic at [email protected] or have your student contact their student services counselor for more information.

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 Minor Informed Consent Form.

Helpful Tips

As a parent, the experience of having your college student move away from home and struggle with transitioning into college life can generate a variety of emotions. It can be challenging as a parent to know how to balance helping your student and giving them space to learn from their mistakes and grow in their independence. It can also be difficult to know how to respond when a student is struggling with the transition into college life. Here are some helpful links and information to help you best support your student.

The transition of moving away from home and experiencing the challenges of college life can be just as difficult on parents as it is on students. As parents, it can be tough and concerning when you see your student struggling. Knowing when to give your student space to learn from their own mistakes or when to step in can be confusing as a parent.

The goal is to express support while also helping your child become autonomous and independent. Below are a few tips on how you can express support to your student.

One of the ways you can support your student is by listening to them with an open mind before offering advice, opinions or correction. This can be a challenge as a parent to give your student time to figure things out on their own in our desire to prevent any potential hurt, disappointment or failure they may experience. It can help the student feel valued and understood when they are asked questions such as how they are feeling about the challenge, what they need from you as their parent and what it may look like to meet their needs.

Another way to support your student as a parent is to ask your student if and when they would like your input. It is natural for parents to want to step in and solve their student’s challenges for them. However, this does not give them the opportunity to learn and grow or improve their confidence in their ability to resolve challenges.

A question that parents can ask their student to help determine how much input to provide them is, “Would you like me to ask you some questions to help you think through this, or do you prefer to work through it on your own?” We can also ask questions like, “What have you tried?” or “What would you like to try next?” to help them in their resolution process.

If your student wants to work through the challenge on their own, you can say encouraging statements like, “I’m proud of you for working through this,” “I believe in you,” or “I am here if you need me.” Asking if they want your help and reminding your student that you believe in them can help foster their growth and independence.

Encouraging your student can be another way to support them. Some ways to express encouragement can be saying phrases like, “I knew you could do it,” “I knew you would figure it out,” or “I’m proud of you for working through this.” Statements like these, for challenges big or small, can help express our faith in them while also building their own confidence and resiliency. The more that parents can focus on growth and honoring every success their student makes, big or small, the more encouragement they give their students to navigate through their challenges.

It can be empowering for your student to learn and grow from their mistakes while knowing that you are available for support and encouragement along the way.

If you find that your student continues to struggle and you think that they would benefit from counseling, know that we are here to help. You can encourage your student to visit our office in Building 26, 2nd Floor where they can complete the paperwork and schedule an appointment. We offer short-term, solution-focused psychoeducational programs, individual, group and crisis counseling to traditional full-time, on-campus students. We also offer crisis appointments daily, and consultation appointments can be made the same day to same week depending on your student’s schedule and appointment availability.

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For more insight, here is a helpful article on “9 Things College Mental Health Counselors Wish Parents Understood.”

More helpful tips are available under the Mental Health Tips tab on the Student Care page.

Crisis Report

Part of the difficulty as a parent is recognizing when to step in for your student.

If your student is struggling with the transition to college life or is struggling with mental health issues, here are a couple of options for you to consider:

If you think your student is in danger or may harm themselves or someone else, you can initiate a wellness check by calling Public Safety at 602-639-8100 or sending an to email to [email protected]. This email is supervised by Public Safety, who is available 24/7, and a public safety officer will immediately initiate a visit to your student to ensure they are safe and determine if they are in need of further assessment or assistance.

If your student is struggling, but not in danger, you can always direct them to visit the Office of Student Care in Building 26, 2nd Floor to complete paperwork and make an appointment. Your student can also contact our office by calling 602-639-7007 or emailing [email protected].

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Important Contact Information

602-639-8100
[email protected]
Call or email to initiate a wellness check by Public Safety. Phone and email are supervised 24/7.

602-639-7007
[email protected]
Office of Student Care Information Line

602-639-6002
[email protected]
Department of Welcome Programs