Overview
Counseling Services at UH&CS includes group counseling, skill-based workshops, support spaces, prevention and recovery services, psychiatry, individual counseling, crisis intervention and care management. Students can choose to make virtual or in-person appointments.
All students begin with a same- or next-day appointment, which can be scheduled online via myhealthconnect.case.edu or by calling (216) 368-5872. Students will not need to wait days or weeks to address immediate concerns or establish care.
In the initial appointment—which often takes place the same day it is requested--the counselor will: explore your current issues and concerns, assess for safety, and provide recommendations for services based on your needs and individual circumstances.
Students leave same-day appointments with an individualized plan of care that can include a course of brief individual counseling, group counseling, skill-based workshops, referrals to other types of health or mental health providers, or a combination of offerings.
Case Western Reserve University provides brief individual counseling to students through UH&CS and TimelyCare. Counseling is intended to be short-term and solution-focused, generally not exceeding 15 sessions within a year.
Students usually see their providers once every 2-3 weeks for individual counseling. Depending on a student's concerns, our providers may refer those needing more frequent, long-term counseling, or specialized care to community providers to ensure the best clinical fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
To serve and support as many students as possible, University Health & Counseling Services provides short-term individual counseling.
Short-term counseling is appropriate for many students, including students seeking help for:
- mild to moderate anxiety or depression
- adjustment and development concerns, including transition to college
- relationship concerns (with friends, family, roommates, romantic partners)
- identity development related to sexual, racial, ethnic, religious, gender, and other identities
- mild to moderate issues regarding eating and/or body image
- recent traumatic experiences, including experiences of discrimination
Some students require more services--or different kinds of services--than UH&CS is able to provide. For instance, students who need specialized therapy or prefer ongoing weekly sessions are more likely to receive such support within the broader community. In such situations, counseling services works with students to help determine the most relevant care options—and, from there, assists students with finding appropriate community providers.
University Health & Counseling Services assists students by providing referral coordination. Students can opt to receive individualized assistance in identifying appropriate providers and making initial contacts (including via phone). While waiting for their first appointments with a community provider, students also can participate in brief check-ins with counseling staff.
In addition, students receiving individual counseling (or other kinds of mental health assistance) within the community still can access UHCS for same- or next-day appointments, psychiatry services, workshops, and group counseling.
We recognize that CWRU students have exceptionally full and engaging schedules; to ensure additional access outside of usual work hours, the university also offers TimelyCare—a virtual option for mental health (and medical) care that is available 24/7—including for counseling appointments.
Brief individual counseling at Counseling Services and TimelyCare is generally meant to be problem-focused and fairly short in duration. While no pre-set session totals allocated to each student, individual counseling through the university usually should involve no more than 15 sessions within a year. That said, UHCS will assist students in locating appropriate community resources for longer-term therapy or more frequent sessions. University Health & Counseling Services provides unlimited visits for same-day appointments, psychiatry, group counseling, and workshops.
While UHCS can address most needs, students sometimes require—or prefer—assistance that is not available on campus. Students who must receive a higher-level of care—for example, specialized services, frequent treatment and/or ongoing sessions—are referred and/or transitioned to one of the many excellent healthcare providers in the Cleveland area. In such instances, students are able to meet with the UHCS Care Team to review options and receive regular check-ins as they transition care to their new providers.
University Health & Counseling Services is committed to ensuring that all students receive the care they need to benefit from all that CWRU offers. For most students, optimal options include group counseling, skill-based workshops, brief individual counseling, or a combination of these experiences.
When students need or want more or different services, UHCS helps connect them to care that better meets their specific needs or interests. UHCS aims to serve as many students as possible; providing more intensive assistance—weekly sessions and/or unlimited ones—would severely limit the number students able to receive support.