Counseling Services

Counseling and Psychological Services offers free and confidential mental health and wellness services to enrolled Saint Peter’s University students.  Many students seek our services to address issues that may interfere with their academic progress, social development, or personal growth.  Students are encouraged to contact CAPS if they need assistance or if they are concerned about the well-being of someone else.  Our office can also provide informative pamphlets and brochures about various topics and issues.

Common Issues or Referrals Include:

  • Balancing demands of home/school/work/relationships
  • Loneliness, anxiety, depression
  • Time and stress management skills
  • Relationship conflict
  • Self-acceptance and self-confidence
  • Intrusive/anxious thoughts
  • Sexual identity/gender issues
  • Substance abuse,
  • Eating disorders,
  • Sexual abuse & trauma

Description of Services

  • Registration & screening
  • Initial assessment
  • Individual Counseling
  • Psycho-educational Groups
  • After-hours Teletherapy Services – UWill
  • In-person counseling modalities
  • Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
  • Alcohol and Drug evaluations and counseling
  • Recovery counseling and resources
  • Consultation with students, faculty and staff
  • Case Management
  • Crisis intervention
  • Programs and workshops for campus groups
  • Referrals

Scope of Services

CAPS individual therapy services utilizes a Solution-Focused, Brief Therapy model for eligible Saint Peter’s University students. This short-term, goal-oriented therapy model includes a range of 6-8 sessions, where we focus on solutions, rather than the problems. This allows for formulating, motivating, achieving, and sustaining desired behavioral change leading to improved well-being. Most students who attend individual therapy experience improvements within an average of 4-6 sessions. We will assist students with connecting to outside services in the event they have long-standing concerns, require intensive and comprehensive services, or could benefit from specialized therapy.

CAPS also offers workshops and psycho-educational groups, both of which students can participate in without being a client of the center, and there is no limit to the number of workshops or psycho-educational group sessions a student attends.

Treatment concerns that fall outside the scope of SPU Counseling Services, and that might require a specialized referral:

  • Recent history of psychiatric hospitalizations and/or suicide attempts
  • Ongoing suicidality and/or self-injury behaviors, or risk of harm to others, which may require frequent monitoring
  • Presentation of psychotic symptoms requiring specialized services for stabilization
  • Repeat requests for services more than once a week    
  • Active drug and/or alcohol abuse/dependence, and/or relapsing behavior
  • Mental health concerns that may pose a medical danger, or require medical monitoring
  • Court-mandated assessment or treatment requirements
  • Students engaged in ongoing psychotherapy with another provider
  • Psychological testing or assessment reports
  • Students who are unable to comply with treatment (e.g., repeated no shows)
  • An indication that short-term therapy would be detrimental or not the optimal treatment for a student.

LIMITS: CAPS is administratively neutral and is not responsible for college admissions, housing or academic accommodations, disciplinary decisions, or financial awards. CAPS does not attest to a student’s suitability for a particular position or work environment, or provide documentation for emotional support animals, service animals, or other requests for accommodations due to disabilities. CAPS does not accept or offer court-mandated counseling, or serve as witnesses in any court proceeding regarding legal matters. Information from a student’s counseling file is not intended for employment or forensic evaluations. CAPS does not prescribe, manage, or monitor psychotropics or other medications.

Getting the Most out of Therapy

Below are five tips on getting the most out of therapy.

Consistency: Being consistent in attending your appointments is crucial to maintaining new skills, especially when sessions are limited. Regression tends to happen when sessions are sporadic, and time will have to be spent reintroducing skills into your life.

Goals: Identifying what you want to improve in your life serves as a map that guides you through the therapy process, and tells you when you have reached your destination.

Practice: Therapy is more impactful when you take the information and insights gained during sessions and apply them in your everyday life.

Honesty: Therapy helps with recognizing patterns that keep you stuck so you know what changes would bring you improvements; this is difficult to achieve if we cannot be honest in therapy and honest with ourselves.

Realistic expectations: Therapy is a process which includes not only gains, but also some setbacks; both providing direction and focus so you can move forward toward your goals.

Confidentiality

Those working in CAPS are bound by federal statutes and ethical guidelines to preserve the confidentiality of information obtained from a client in the course of therapy/counseling. This means that all communications between a client and counselor are protected by law. Information will not be disclosed outside of CAPS without written permission by the student.  However, there are certain exceptions noted below.

Exceptions to Confidentiality

If there is clear and imminent danger or likelihood of danger to yourself.

  • If there is clear and imminent danger to an individual, the campus community, or the public or when there is cause to believe that there is a likelihood of danger to a person or persons.  Disclosure may include contacting family, Saint Peter’s University officials, and/or emergency services (911).
  • If the counselor has knowledge of child or elder neglect or abuse s/he is legally obliged to report the situation to the appropriate state agency.
  • If, in the case of judicial hearings, a subpoena or court order is issued by a judge for records or counselor to testify.
  • If the client enters into litigation against the counselor.
  • All CAPS counselors receive supervision and/or confer with one another within the department. These consultations are for professional and/or training purposes only.  Supervisors are bound by the same laws regarding confidentiality.

Students Employed Full-time by the University

For students seeking counseling services and who are employed full time by the University please contact Human Resources for information about the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Eligibility for Clinical Services

Students must be currently enrolled in order to be eligible for services at CAPS,; former SPU students are eligible for consultation and, if appropriate, an off-campus referral. Students who are full-time employees will be referred to Human Resources for information on Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services. In order to be eligible to use CAPS services during the summer months, students must be taking summer classes and/or be registered for the upcoming fall semester, unless an existing client with intention to register for the upcoming fall semester.

Students currently engaged in a therapeutic relationship with a private therapist outside SPU are not eligible to receive counseling services concurrently due to clinical contraindications. Crisis intervention services are available to students who are on campus and unable to contact their private therapist. Note: we will work to engage with the primary therapist to ensure ethical and collaborative care.

Appointments

To schedule an appointment please call (201) 761-6420 during regular business hours Monday through Friday 9:00-5:00.  Appointments are usually made within 24-48 hours depending on student availability, same day appointments are subject to clinician availability.

For mental health emergencies, you can contact campus safety at (201)761-7400, call 911, or visit our Mental Health and Wellness Resources page.