It can be nerve-wracking to go to therapy for the first time! (Or, maybe you had a bad experience with a therapist in the past, which makes you hesitant to try it again.) Therapy can feel weird (literally talking to a stranger about stuff in your life you’re struggling with), but it can be really, really helpful. To get a better idea of what to expect from your first session and from therapy in general, click here.
CAPS strives to respond to appointment request calls and emails within 48 hours, and schedule clients for meetings within two weeks of their outreach. When our office is understaffed, it unfortunately means that concessions have to be made, like slightly longer wait times, or biweekly meetings instead of weekly, to try to meet the need without having our therapists burn out.
Sadly, the national average wait time to see a therapist is about six weeks, give or take a week. While we’re happy to be able to see folks faster than that, just know it’s still always our goal to be able to connect people with therapy as soon as possible – days, not weeks. We understand how important that is.
No, it’s not (funnily enough, that’s a pretty common thought across college campuses, not just at Concordia). There are no session limits! You just have to be a currently enrolled CUAA student to access CAPS services. Some students reach out every now and then during a tough semester; others have regular meetings that span over multiple school years. It just depends on the person.
Great news – it is not! People come to therapy for all different reasons. Having a safe space to talk about stuff you’re struggling with can be helpful for anyone. And sure, some people have diagnoses; some don’t. It doesn't't't't’t make you weak or less-than or inferior to struggle with your mental health, or have a mental illness. If anything, having a mental illness can be like doing life on "hard mode."
Having ADHD can make it so hard to keep up with homework and stay focused, tuning out distractions; that doesn't't't't’t make you lazy. Having depression can make it so hard to get out of bed, let alone maintain your social life, compete in sports, and participate in class; that doesn't't't't’t make you unintelligent. Having anxiety can make it so hard to just get through the day, dreading the unknown, fighting with racing/spiraling thoughts; that doesn't't't't’t make you pathetic.
It is not. Though, of course white people and women are very welcome and encouraged to participate in therapy, so are students of all other identities, including and beyond race and gender. Students of color, people with disabilities, folks not from the United States, men, athletes and non-athletes, Christians and non-Christians and folks from any belief system, people who advocate for mental health as well as people who are skeptical as to whether or not mental health is a real thing – everyone is welcome in therapy.