Getting Started
For information about eligibility for services at the Counseling Service and how to set up an initial evaluation, referred to as an intake appointment, please review the information within the tabs below.
Currently registered UMD students are eligible for short-term group, individual, and couples counseling. The number of individual or couples counseling sessions used depends on the nature of the issues being addressed. The average number of individual sessions per client is approximately 6. Former clients who wish to return for subsequent individual counseling may do so one year from the date of their last counseling session. There is no limit to the number of group sessions used.
Non-registered and non-University affiliated persons are eligible to receive one intake appointment at the Counseling Center, at which time resources may be provided to obtain additional services elsewhere. Non-university-affiliated persons and former UMD students are also eligible for individual career counseling for a fee. These sessions are limited to an intake appointment plus up to 4 career-focused sessions. Faculty and staff are also eligible for free and confidential referral services through the Care Manager.
The first session at the Counseling Center consists of an appointment with a counselor in which the student’s well-being and reasons for seeking services are evaluated. This is called an intake appointment. The goal of the initial meeting is to determine the nature and impact of the presenting issues and discuss options for addressing these issues.
After completing the intake, many students are referred for one of our workshops, which are designed specifically to address common college student concerns and provide useful techniques for managing these concerns in a timely manner. If counseling is indicated, the intake counselor will recommend the most effective method of treatment, which may include group counseling, individual counseling or psychotherapy, or couples counseling. Additional services such as a referral to another division of the Counseling Center, such as the Accessibility and Disability Service, or another campus department, such as the Health Center, may be provided. In some cases, the intake appointment is sufficient in helping students address their concerns.
We make every effort to recommend the best course of treatment. In cases when a student’s concerns require more specialized or longer-term counseling, a referral to an off-campus community provider is recommended and coordinated by our care manager.
Prior to your meeting with a counselor, you will be asked to complete a set of online forms with items related to background information and functioning in a variety of areas. You will also be asked to review a “consent to receive treatment” form that describes the counseling relationship and limits to confidentiality. If you agree to receive treatment, you will be asked to electronically sign the consent form to acknowledge that you read the confidentiality policy. Most intake appointments last from 30 to 50 minutes.
To schedule an intake appointment, call the Counseling Center at (301) 314-7651, or stop by the Counseling Center reception desk on the main floor of Shoemaker Building.
Counseling Center services are free to registered UMD students. Non-university-affiliated persons and former UMD students are eligible for individual career counseling for a fee.
To schedule an initial appointment, call (301) 314-7651 or stop by the Counseling Center reception desk on the main level of the Shoemaker Building.
During the academic year, the Counseling Center is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Summer hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
If you are experiencing an urgent crisis, you may go to the Counseling Center front desk to request to be seen for an emergency visit. Emergency visits are unscheduled same-day appointments with a Counseling Service staff member.
Fall and Spring Semester Hours
Monday through Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Summer Hours
Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location
Shoemaker Building
4281 Chapel Lane
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742