Services
To support students in their growth and development during their time here at UCSF, we offer a variety of counseling and psychological services, including:
Individual Short-term Counseling and Therapy
We offer individual counseling and therapy based on a brief therapy model (maximum of 10 counseling sessions per academic year) to address the concerns of our students. In individual counseling and therapy, a student meets one-on-one with a therapist, usually in fifty-minute sessions. Such a working relationship may last for only one session or may continue for longer, depending on the needs of the student.
Couples Short-term Counseling and Therapy
Our couples counseling services are designed to assist couples with their relationship concerns. It can be used to gain more insight into each other, to learn new and more effective ways of communication, and to learn how to solve problems in the relationship. Couples counseling sessions are included in the maximum of 10 counseling session per academic year.
Medication Evaluation/Management Services
We offer psychiatric evaluation/ consultation to determine the appropriateness of taking medication. Our psychiatrists also provide medication management as appropriate.
Drug & Alcohol Consultation
We offer a service to help you and a professional evaluate your alcohol and drug use. In a non-judgmental discussion, you and a trained professional can explore your current use, its impact on your life and consider steps you may take to feel better about what you do. The ways you drink may be getting in your way and we can help sort that out in a collaborative discussion.
HeartMath Biofeedback & Positive Psychology Consultation
We offer students a 50-minute appointment with Student Health Director, Henry Kahn, MD who is trained in the use of HeartMath technology. Dr. Kahn will teach students emotional refocusing exercises and heart rate variability biofeedback through the use of PC software and handheld devices to be used outside of the clinic. This technology can enable people to reduce stress, better regulate emotional responses, optimize academic performance, and improve overall sense of well being.
Workshops and Outreach Programs
We provide presentations, skills-based workshops and supportive discussion groups to promote psychological health and wellness for graduate and professional students as they move through their degree programs. For a list of current outreach programs, please see Wellness Programs & Workshops.
Consultation
Consultation is available for concerned students, faculty and staff. Our staff is available to help you find ways of addressing your concerns about students who may be distressed or engaging in distressing behavior. For guidance when helping a student who appears to be in crisis, call SHCS at (415) 476-1281 or see our Assisting a Student in Need or Caring for Yourself and Your Colleagues brochures.
Referrals
We make appropriate referrals for those students who will be better helped by other practitioners, specialists, departments and facilities, in addressing their concerns. Our therapists assist students in connecting to other professionals and resources both on and off campus.
Confidentiality is the cornerstone of counseling and psychological services. You have a right to privacy and your written permission must be obtained before we will release information to anyone outside of our clinic, with only limited legal and ethical exceptions. We want you to be aware that counseling records are maintained separately from any other records of the University – including academic, educational and job placement records. If you have questions or concerns about confidentiality, we encourage you to discuss them with our staff.
