Counseling Services

Get the Help You Need, Your Way

At Counseling Services, we know some students benefit most when we offer a greater understanding of identity, a collaborative therapeutic setting, or a diagnosis and treatment plan for a specific mental health disorder. Choose a card below to learn more about how we provide the services you need.

Community Mental & Behavioral Health Resources

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Types of Therapy

Every individual's mental health is unique. That's why we offer a range of methods and approaches to help find the type of therapy that works best for you.

• Individual Counseling

  Traditional one-on-one counseling is still the most common type of mental health therapy. People choose to seek individual counseling for a variety of issues, including:

  • Stress or anxiety
  • Depression
  • Academic concerns
  • Career choice confusion
  • Eating disorders
  • Substance abuse
  • Family relationship conflicts
  • Financial stress
  • Grief/loss issues
  • Intimacy, commitment, or relationship issues
  • Identity concerns (e.g., ethnic/racial identity, sexual orientation, spiritual identity)
  • Thoughts and feelings about suicide or self-harm
  • Anger or thoughts of violence

  
  What Can I Expect from Individual Counseling?

  Individual counseling involves regular one-on-one meetings with one of our licensed professional therapists (or unlicensed trainees under close supervision), usually biweekly for around 45-50 minutes. The substance of these meetings is dependent on your own unique needs and circumstances. Because of this, each counseling experience is different.

  Individual Counseling Often Includes

  • Learning new problem-solving or coping skills
  • Increasing self-understanding
  • Exploring life patterns
  • Gaining a better sense of how you are influenced by your surroundings

  
  How to Begin Receiving Counseling

  To begin receiving any type of therapy at the HCC, you must first complete a Initial Consultation or group screen with a counselor. This is used to clarify your reasons for seeking help and connect you with the services best suited to your concerns. Student can best start the process of treatment by booking either a same-day access appointment or an initial consultation appointment. See details below.

  Same-Day Access Appointments

  To book a free same-day access appointment, you must call the Front Desk at 303-871-2205 on a weekday between the hours of 1 and 3 p.m. These appointments cannot be made online. They take approximately 15 to 20 minutes and are administered first come, first served, so there may be a wait, depending on demand.

  Initial Consultation Appointments

  You can make an initial consultation appointment by calling the Front Desk at 303-871-2205 during normal business hours, or by using the MyHealth portal any time. They take approximately 45 minutes and involve an in-depth screening that covers more information than a same-day access appointment.

  Get the Most out of Individual Counseling

  • Attempt to clarify goals and what you hope to gain from the experience
  • Consider how you feel about the counseling relationship
  • Be an active participant
  • Focus on what is most important to you
  • Recognize and express feelings
  • Be patient with yourself
  • Ask questions
• Group Counseling

  Group therapy is a highly effective means of addressing personal concerns — in fact, it has been proven equally effective to individual therapy, and even more effective in certain cases. The HCC offers a variety of group counseling options. Some of our groups are focused on a particular subject or skill, while others are more general in nature.

  Our more general, interpersonal groups are titled "Understanding Self and Others." They can be particularly beneficial if you:

  • Are concerned about how you relate to other people
  • Feel isolated, depressed, or anxious
  • Experience discomfort in social situations
  • Lack intimacy in relationships
  • Have family-of-origin difficulties
  • Are dissatisfied with your friendships or romantic relationships
  • Struggle with low self-esteem and/or low self-confidence

  
  Watch this brief video to learn more about group counseling and how it can help:

  What Can I Expect from Group Counseling?

  • Groups typically comprise between five and eight people who meet to discuss their concerns together with one or two counselors.
  • Group sessions are confidential — what is discussed may not be disclosed or discussed outside the group.
  • Many groups last eight to ten weeks while others continue from one quarter to the next.
  • You can participate in as many groups as you'd like.
  • All group counseling and workshops are free for DU students.

  
  General Groups: "Understanding Self and Others"

  These groups have no specific topic for each group session. As a group member, you may bring up any issues you choose. The primary focus of therapy in the group is on the interactions among you and other group members. This is done through disclosure and feedback (giving and receiving information about yourself) in order to feel more connected and learn about how we relate to one another.

  • The Johari Window is a visual resource that helps demonstrate this process.
  • The Group as a Laboratory helps show how group members can try new ways of interacting within a safe and confidential environment.
  • Learn some common misconceptions about group therapy.

  
  Support/Theme Groups

  These groups involve a mix of structured and unstructured activities, providing and receiving support from others around a specific shared issue or common experience.

  Structured Skills Workshops

  These workshops are group sessions focused on a particular topic. They typically consist of brief lectures by the group leaders, group discussions, and experiential activities.

  
  Do I Have to Reveal All My Deepest Secrets and Feelings?

  No. You alone decide how much you want to share, although members often report gaining more from group counseling when they decide to share more about themselves. Most group members tend to share more about themselves when they feel safe and supported in the group.

  
  What Role do Group Leaders Play?

  Group leaders:

  • Help create and maintain safety in the group
  • Guide and facilitate self-exploration
  • Give feedback and support
  • Provide comments on interpersonal issues in the group
  • Encourage group cohesion (closeness)

  Some leaders take an active role throughout the duration of the group while others tend to give group members more responsibility for self-exploration. Generally, leaders of structured groups take a more active role than leaders of general groups, providing instruction on specific topics related to the group theme.

  
  What Groups and Workshops are Currently Offered?

  The following groups and workshops are being offered during the 2022 spring quarter. Groups and workshops will be offered in-person or online. Please see the brochure for details.

  • Graduate Student Support Group
  • LGBTQIA-focused Trauma Support Group
  • LGBTQIA Support and Empowerment group
  • Students of Color Support and Empowerment Group
  • Understanding Self and Others
  • PROs
  • Grief and Loss Group
  • Stronger Together (for survivors of trauma)
  • Time Management 101
  • ACT workshop (for those struggling with depression and anxiety)

  
  Please email the group counseling coordinator, Dr. Anand Desai, with any group related questions.

• Couples Counseling

  Designed to assist couples with relationship issues, couples counseling can help you gain insight into each other and learn effective ways of communicating and solving problems. It is available to couples composed of two individuals, at least one of whom is a DU student. Married couples, LGBTQIA+ couples, roommates, and housemates are all eligible.

  
  How Do We Get Started?

  Couples intake appointments can be made by calling the Front Desk at 303-871-2205. Both participants must attend initial appointment. DU students will need to complete associated forms via the MyHealth portal. Non-student participants should sign up for an account, and then contact the Front Desk at 303-871-2205 to have their appointment scheduled.

  
  Who Will Be Our Counselor?

  If, after your couples intake appointment, couples counseling is indicated as the recommended treatment, you may continue with your intake counselor or you may be assigned to a counselor with special interests or training in couples therapy. Counseling is provided by licensed professional therapists (or unlicensed trainees under close supervision).

  
  How Much Does It Cost?

  Fees will be assessed to the University of Denver student in the couple. If you are both DU students, your counselor will work with you to decide whose account will be charged. Fees are dependent on your health insurance and payment of the quarterly Health & Counseling Fee.

• Crisis and Urgent Counseling

  If you or someone around you is in an emergency situation, don't hesitate to call 9-1-1, or Campus Safety at 303-871-3000 or ext. 1-3000, right away. For a non-emergency mental health crisis, call the Front Desk at 303-871-2205 — help is available 24/7.

  If you are calling after hours, follow the prompts to speak to the counselor-on-call. This service is for urgent, non-emergency crises only, such as:

  • You are unable to stop crying
  • You have thoughts of hurting yourself
  • You have thoughts of hurting other people
  • You have not eaten or slept in days (not due to illness)
  • You are unable to go to classes (not due to illness)
  • You have experienced some form of gender violence, including sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and/or sexual harassment
  • You have significant concerns about the welfare of another DU student
  • You have experienced a loss

  
  Gender Violence Counseling

  The HCC provides counseling for victims of gender violence, including sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and sexual harassment. Students can also receive advocacy, support, and education from CAPE (Center for Advocacy, Prevention, & Empowerment).

• Alcohol & Other Drug Counseling

  Counseling Services at the HCC offers several counseling options to address issues related to alcohol and other drugs. Get more information, including the cost of each program, below. For further information on costs visit our Insurance Plans & fees or call the HCC at 303-871-2205.

  
  One-on-One Counseling Consultation/Outcome

  In our one-on-one consultation, we assess your counseling requirements as they relate to drugs and alcohol, and develop a personalized game to best meet your needs. Session cost is $0 for students who have both the DU Student Health Insurance Plan and the Health & Counseling Fee (HCF), $20 for students who have HCF only, and $50 for students who have neither.

  
  BASICS

  Our BASICS assessment consists of two separate 50-minute appointments with a counselor or health educator. These meetings focus on information gathering (an intake interview and drink tracking homework between sessions), assessment tools, and written feedback applying the information obtained. Cost is $0 for students who have both the DU Student Health Insurance Plan and the Health & Counseling Fee (HCF), $40 for students who have HCF only, and $100 for students who have neither. This includes two sessions and all of the assessments.

  
  CASICS

  Our CASICS assessment is identical to BASICS, but with a focus on cannabis use rather than alcohol. Cost is $0 for students who have both the DU Student Health Insurance Plan and the Health & Counseling Fee (HCF), $40 for students who have HCF only, and $100 for students who have neither. This includes two sessions and all of the assessments.

  
  CHOICES

  The mission of the CHOICES program is to educate college students about the effects of alcohol on their behavior, to promote self-evaluation of drinking patterns, and to facilitate the acquisition of effective coping strategies so that students can make informed decisions and reduce their alcohol-related risk and harm. Students discover for themselves that their expectations about drinking often don't match their experiences, and the consequence of excessive alcohol use is incompatible with their academic and social goals, as well as their future desires. We administer CHOICES as a one-time, 90-minute group workshop for students referred to us by the office of Student Rights & Responsibilities for sanctions related to alcohol misuse. There is no cost for CHOICES.

  
  Tobacco Cessation

  Call the HCC at 303-871-2205 or talk to your counselor about tobacco cessation options. You can view resources for vaping and e-cigarettes on this page.

  
  Community Resource List

  Find community resources in the Denver area such as inpatient treatment facilities, intensive outpatient clinics, psychosocial rehabilitation, and private practitioners specializing in drug and alcohol counseling services.

• Suicide Prevention and Coping with Loss

  Suicide affects millions of people each year. While there is no single cause of suicide, it most often occurs when stressors exceed the coping abilities of someone suffering from a mental health condition. Fortunately, everyone can play a role in suicide prevention. If you are suffering an emotional or suicidal crisis, know that there is hope and help is available. Visit our Suicide Prevention page to learn what you can do to keep yourself safe and steps you can take right now to get yourself back on track and living mentally well.

  If you are concerned about a friend who may be in emotional crisis or thinking of suicide, you can learn how to talk with them, what to watch for, risk factors, warning signs, and what to do by visiting our Suicide Prevention page.

  If you or a loved one has experienced the loss of a friend or family member to suicide, the feelings can be overwhelming and seemingly unmanageable. There is no one way to best handle such a tragedy, but there are tools available that can help survivors cope with grief. Learn more by visiting our Suicide Prevention page.