Scheduling An Appointment

MAKING THE APPOINTMENT

Making your first appointment is easy. If you are currently enrolled at CSUDH, you are eligible for counseling services at no additional cost. To make an appointment, call our number 310.243.3818 during business hours (Monday-Friday 8 a.m - 5 p.m.) and our administrative support coordinators will assist you in scheduling an assessment appointment to meet with one of our psychological counselors.

Please be aware that as we grow busier, our availability for initial appointments can become limited. We understand that this may be frustrating, but know that we do our best to accommodate the needs of students and we will not turn students away from meeting with us for this assessment appointment. While you are waiting for your appointment, please feel free to review and utilize the many resources available on our website.

Most of our services are offered on an appointment basis; however, there may be circumstances that require immediate or same-day services. For additional crisis resources, go to our Emergency & After Hours Crisis page. 

PAPERWORK FOR FIRST APPOINTMENT

After your appointment has been scheduled, you will receive an email confirmation. Please follow the directions to log into the torohealth.gafmacademy.com patient portal to complete your pre-visit questionnaire and to acknowledge the consent form for service.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT

During your initial assessment appointment, a counselor will work to understand your concerns, while also getting to know you and your history. At the end of this appointment an individualized treatment plan to help you reach your specific goals for counseling within our short-term therapy framework will be discussed. Because everyone's needs are different, we do not have a specific session limit. Part of the collaborative treatment planning process will include determining how many sessions constitutes short-term as well as how frequently to meet (e.g. weekly, every other week, monthly).

The plan for treatment may include a variety of options including individual, group counseling, workshops, or an off-campus referral. During your assessment appointment, your therapist will likely discuss the benefits of participating in a 3-week therapeutic workshop. The main goal of these therapeutic workshops is to learn useful strategies you can implement in your daily life. Many students find these therapeutic workshops highly effective programs that have helped them reach their counseling goals.  

If it is determined that your needs are better met through long-term therapy, your counselor will discuss this with you and may refer you to a counselor in the community that can provide a higher level of care.