Mental Health

Make an Appointment

How do I schedule an appointment?

To schedule an initial counseling appointment, contact us at (304) 293-4431 during business hours (M-F, 8:15 am – 4:45 pm). The front staff will ask for your name, contact information and if you require emergency assistance. You will come for a 75- 90 minute appointment to first complete some background information and then meet with an intake counselor. Students may also choose to use our Walk In Clinic where an appointment is not required. Keep in mind that like in any walk in clinic, students may need to wait for the first available appointment (typically the wait times are less than 30 minutes). If you would prefer not to wait for an available counselor, consider scheduling an appointment.

What happens at the initial appointment?

Initially, you be asked to provide some information at one of our computer terminal kiosks that tells us more about your background and what your needs or concerns might be. If you need assistance with this process don’t hesitate to ask our front desk.

Next you will meet with a counselor/clinician for an intake appointment. You will have an opportunity to talk confidentially with a counselor about your immediate concerns. He/she will talk with you about some of the reasons you scheduled the appointment and will evaluate what resources will be most helpful for you. Some students find that talking with a clinician once resolves their immediate concern. If additional services would be helpful, these will be discussed during your session. These additional services may involve group, individual, or couples counseling, referral to another WELLWVU self-care resource, referral to a physician, or, perhaps, referral to a clinician outside the agency (if you require specialized or more intensive services).

If you are referred for individual counseling with a CCPPS clinician you will be contacted with an appointment time and date. This designated counselor will in most instances be your ongoing counselor and may or may not be the same person you saw on intake. If you are referred to a group within CCPPS you will be provided with information regarding the first group meeting time and contact information for the group counselor (who will contact you). If you are referred to a counselor in the community for longer-term or more specialized care, you will be provided with information regarding available options and counseling center staff will assist you in scheduling an appointment.

What if I am returning for services?

If you are returning to CCPPS for short-term counseling services, you should let the front desk staff know this when you call to schedule an appointment (304) 293-4431. Depending on a how long it has been since your last appointment and the availability of appointments they will do one of the following:

1. Ask you to come to the center for a brief triage/update appointment
2. Schedule an appointment with the clinician you are requesting (you may request to see the counselor you saw previously or someone new)
3. Schedule you for the next available counseling appointment with another counselor
4. Recommend that you speak with a CRISIS clinic clinician

What If I am interested in longer term counseling services (more than 10-12 sessions)?

Sometimes students prefer or have presenting concerns that are best addressed by specialized or longer term therapy. If you are interested in these services, please call the center and schedule an appointment with the Clinical Director or Case Manager. They will be happy to talk with you about your counseling goals and potential treatment options.