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Counseling and Psychological Services
IN CRISIS

Individual Therapy

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) can provide a brief course of weekly individual psychotherapy for BYU students who have at least three-quarter-time status. If needed, a student may receive a short course of individual therapy each academic year. If further services are needed after a course of individual therapy, students may be connected to group therapy or to an individual therapist in the community who can continue to meet their needs. All therapy sessions are free and confidential. Services are provided by more than 30 PhD-level therapists, as well as graduate student therapists in training.

To schedule individual therapy, complete the paperwork here and then call 801-422-3035 to be added to the waitlist.

You will then be contacted by text when an appointment becomes available. You will likely be scheduled within 3 to 6 weeks depending on counselor availability.

If you feel the wait time is too long, you may contact the same number and ask to make an appointment with a case manager to assist you in connecting with a therapist in the community.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is individual therapy?

Individual therapy is one-on-one counseling for problems ranging from difficulties that are normal to young adult development (e.g., adjustment to the university setting) to more serious problems associated with acute or long-standing psychological disturbances. Counseling services are oriented toward short-term interventions designed to help you develop self-reliance and succeed in your role as a student. Most students finish their course of therapy in four or fewer sessions, but you may be seen up to seven sessions per academic year. If you require more sessions after that, you can work with our case managers to find resources in the community or consider other therapy modalities in CAPS.

How do I access individual therapy?

You must be a three-quarter time, day-time student (enrolled for 9 or more semester hours during the Fall/Winter semesters). Complete the paperwork here, then call 801-422-3035 or come to 1500 WSC to be put in the queue for individual therapy. You will then be contacted by CAPS when an appointment becomes available.

What should I expect for my first visit?

When an appointment becomes available, you will be sent a text or email requesting that you contact CAPS to schedule. When the day of your appointment comes, you will meet with a therapist who will work with you to assess your concerns and develop a plan to work on them. This may include collaboratively generating tasks or approaches to try out during the week.

What outcomes can I expect?

We expect that involvement in personal/emotional counseling should help you resolve or better manage the problems or concerns that brought you in. Once these concerns are under greater control you should be able to focus more clearly on your educational pursuits with fewer distractions.

Is therapy at CAPS really free?

Yes, our counseling services are free of charge for BYU students of three-quarter-time status and above. If you happen to need psychological testing (rare), there may be a small charge for scoring the tests; however, you will be informed of any such charges prior to your taking any tests.

Scope of Services & Referrals Outside of CAPS

By necessity, CAPS clinicians work from a short-term therapy model, and therapy is offered on a weekly basis. Our goal is to facilitate students’ growth and development by working towards alleviating psychological problems and distress, enhancing mental health, well-being, and quality of life, and supporting aspirations for optimal functioning. Our primary focus is on providing brief, confidential counseling services aimed at helping students achieve their personal and academic goals. Providing short-term services allows us to keep our doors open, assisting a large number of students.

When students require mental health services that are beyond the role and scope of BYU CAPS, we will make appropriate referrals to campus and community resources. All students seeking services will receive an opportunity for an initial appointment in order to determine whether their needs fall within the role and scope of CAPS. Additional appointments may be needed to determine the appropriateness of services or for case management. The decision about whether or not the needs of a student fall within the role and scope of CAPS will be made either during the initial appointment or after consultation with the Clinical Director or Clinical Review Team.

In general, students with the following concerns and characteristics will likely need a higher level of care than what is within the role and scope of BYU CAPS:

  • A need for medical detoxification and/or medical stabilization.
  • A need for inpatient treatment.
  • A need for forensic psychological services.
  • A need for neuropsychological services.
  • A history of non-cooperation with treatment.
  • Risk of self-harm or harm to others that cannot be altered by the level of services that can be reasonably provided by CAPS (considering CAPS resources and level of student psychological/psychiatric status). Consideration of risk will necessitate an assessment of the individual’s treatment needs, including outpatient counseling, psychiatric care, and/or outpatient crisis interventions.
  • Chronic substantial (and current) risk of self-harm or harm to others, or evidence of progressive deterioration, as evidenced by one or more suicide attempts or multiple psychiatric hospitalizations.
  • Chronic, severe self-injury/mutilation (e.g. the student presents with a history of self-injury that has required medical attention and the self-injury is still occurring).
  • Eating disorders necessitating a high level of medical, psychiatric, and/or dietetic care and monitoring in addition to psychological treatment (as assessed by medical status, body weight, risk of self-harm, risks with purging and restricting behaviors, and ability and motivation to structure eating behaviors and reduce exercise independently).
  • History of treatment that is beyond the resources of BYU CAPS and evidence that the need for the previous level of care continues or is likely to be needed (e.g. need for frequent consultation after hours).