Counseling

Services

Confidential mental health counseling is available at no cost to all students enrolled full time at the University of Portland. We provide short-term counseling services for students experiencing a range of concerns. First visits are considered a consultation. These appointments last about 20 minutes and are focused on your immediate concerns and to develop a plan. Due to our model, it is possible that an off-campus referral for services will be made.

All counseling appointments are free of charge. This includes consultation and any follow-up appointments you and your clinician schedule.

Scheduling 

To schedule an appointment with us, you can call 503.943.7134. We will work with you to find a day and time that fits your availability. You can also drop by the center (Orrico Hall, Upper Level) between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and make an appointment in person. Consultation appointments can generally be scheduled in 1 to 3 days, depending on our level of demand and flexibility within your schedule. Same day appointments are also available on a daily basis for individuals experiencing a mental health emergency. If you are requesting a same day appointment, we will ask you to fill out some brief paperwork so we can better understand your needs.

If you need to cancel an appointment, please call at your earliest convenience, but no fewer than 24 hours before your scheduled appointment time. We value this notice as it allows another student to utilize the appointment slot.

Referrals

In an effort to accommodate the needs of all students seeking counseling, most therapy is considered short-term (a couple weeks to a couple months). This length of counseling is effective and it is not unusual for significant change to occur in a few sessions, even for problems that seem complicated. In cases where longer-term therapy is more appropriate, when specialized care that our clinicians are not able to provide is needed, or based on clinician discretion, our staff will assist you with a referral to an off-campus resource. We do not keep a referral list. If you have additional questions, please call to schedule a consultation appointment. 

No-Show Policy

Being trusted to manage your own counseling appointments is a privilege. Most of our students manage this responsibility well and are able to take advantage of the opportunity for on-campus counseling. However, if a student develops a pattern of repeatedly no-showing or canceling appointments in less than 24 hours, we reserve the right to revoke a student’s ongoing appointment privileges. In these cases, students are still able to access urgent care via a consultation or same day appointment. Future ongoing care would be reevaluated.