Counseling and Psychological Services is committed to providing support for students on all three of Pacific’s campus, offering both in-person and virtual telemental health appointments. All of our clinicians are well-versed in handling the unique issues and concerns that impact our students, including anxiety, depression, stress management, relationship issues, substance abuse, trauma and more.
We offer emergency / crisis-intervention sessions on a same-day basis as necessary. We leave the decision of whether it is an emergency or not up to you. For more information about our emergency / crisis-intervention sessions please see When You Need Emergency Assistance.
We offer short-term individual therapy for students of Pacific. Individual therapy may help to clarify concerns, gain insight into yourself and others, and learn ways to most effectively cope or resolve problems. The first meeting with a therapist is structured to gain an understanding of you as a whole person, and the concerns that brought you to therapy. This allows you and the therapist to better set goals for what you would like to accomplish in therapy. Individual therapy works best when you have an idea of what you would like to talk about, feel motivated to do so, and are comfortable enough with the therapist to address your concerns. For these reasons, it is often helpful to think about what you would like to discuss during a therapy session, and to spend time between sessions reflecting on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
The focus of couples therapy is the relationship between two people. Couples therapy is offered to students on a short-term basis to help address a variety of issues, including communications skills, conflict resolution / problem solving, and other issues that may arise within a relationship. One of the individuals in the couple must be currently enrolled at Pacific to be considered eligible for couples counseling.
Group Therapy
Group therapy provides an opportunity for small groups of students to meet and share common concerns, explore personal issues, and learn new skills in a confidential setting under the guidance of trained group facilitators. It is often helpful to hear that other people in the group are currently or have experienced a similar concern, and ways they are trying to figure out how to work through the problem(s). The shared experience of facilitated group interactions helps promote a trusting, respectful, and inclusive environment where people can feel free to care about and help each other. Through helping others you can also learn to help yourself. Additionally, group therapy offers a safe environment where you can experiment with new ways of relating to people and expressing yourself. By taking risks you might discover what does or does not work for you.
Let's Talk is a free drop-in service that connects Pacific students with support from experienced mental health therapists from Pacific CAPS. Let's Talk offers informal consultation and is a place where you can talk about your questions or concerns, explore solutions, and identify resources. Please note, Let's Talk is not therapy. It is your opportunity to come chat about a multitude of topics where there is no appointment necessary.
How does Let's Talk work?
Appointments are first-come, first-served. The mental health therapist will listen to your questions or concerns and provide support, perspective, and suggestions for resources. Let's Talk is different from ongoing therapy, which usually consists of regularly scheduled sessions.
What are the time limits on Let's Talk conversations?
Most Let's Talk sessions last anywhere from 10-20 minutes. The length of the conversation is typically determined by whether or not someone else is waiting and the amount of time that you need to talk through whatever is going on for you. If you need a lot of time or have many things to talk about, it may be helpful for you to schedule a session with a mental health therapist at CAPS.
Is Let's Talk the right choice for me?
There is no wrong reason to seek support through Let's Talk or Counseling and Psychological Services. However, Let's Talk is an especially good fit for students who:
- Are not sure about therapy and wonder what it is like to talk to a mental health therapist;
- Are not interested in ongoing counseling but would like the perspective of a mental health therapist;
- Have a specific question and would like someone with whom to talk it through; and/or
- Have a concern about a friend and want some thoughts about what to do to support your friend.
If you are interested in more information, please contact our office by calling 209.946.2315 x2.
Individuals requesting accommodations compliant with ADA should contact Dr. Pam Wrona at pwrona@pacific.edu.
Our staff psychiatrist is currently available on the Stockton campus on Tuesday afternoons. Appointments to see her fill quickly and we recommend scheduling an appointment as soon as possible. Contact us for a list of psychiatrists local to the Stockton campus who currently accept the student health insurance (Anthem BlueCross).
If you are a parent, a faculty member, a staff member, or a student who would like to speak to someone about a student of concern and it is during regular business hours please call our regular number (209.946.2315, extension 2) and ask to speak to an available Counseling Staff member about your concern. If it is after hours, please call the same number (209.946.2315, extension 2) and leave a message. We will return your phone call within two business hours.
RIO is a three week workshop offered by CAPS that focuses on Recognition, Insight and Openness. It is specifically designed for college students to develop a foundational awareness to handle their emotional concerns. Many students who attend RIO report that they have gotten all of their therapy needs met through these workshops. Each workshop focuses on teaching stress management skills and tools that can help build insight into their own concerns and values.
A special thank you to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, who graciously created this program and shared it with us.
RIO Learning Objectives
- To help you gain a deeper understanding of your issue;
- To help you become aware of your moment-to-moment experiences;
- To help you take the first steps toward becoming more open and accepting of your experiences; and
- To help you create a road map of change based on your personal values and goals.
When is RIO Offered?
Due to the closure of the Stockton campus, in-person RIO Workshops are not offered at this time.
Virtual RIO Workshops!
You can virtually participate in RIOs 1, 2, and 3 by accessing our videos from our RIO Workshop Playlist. In order to best participate, please first download the Fillable Student Workbook.
This program works best if you take a few days a week between each workshop to practice the skills you have learned.
