Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Students have a total of 10 sessions available per calendar year (starting the day of their intake). 

The CU Denver Counseling Center uses a brief, goal-directed counseling model that helps students achieve their academic and personal goals related to mental health. The Counseling Center does not provide specialized, more intensive, or long-term clinical services. Some examples of exclusions include services that are required for treatment of acute eating disorders, serious substance abuse/dependence, or acute symptoms that require hospitalization. We do not provide specialized assessments such as child custody evaluations or forensic assessments.  If you are seeking long-term treatment or other services, it is recommended that you receive care by an outside specialist. You can contact us for a list of referrals in the Denver Metro area. If you are unsure whether or not your specific mental health care needs are covered by the counseling center, please contact us and ask to speak with the “on-call counselor” or schedule a consultation appointment with us.

Information given to a therapist is, by law, strictly confidential, with certain legally mandated exceptions. Confidentiality may be broken only in cases of emergency or legal requirements in the State of Colorado, your counselor will review these exceptions in your first session. 

Services are free of charge for CU Denver students. Community Client payments are based on income or affiliation. Our sliding scale and ranges from $10 - $50 a session.

Call 911 for immediate emergencies. For crisis services check out our page here. 

We offer a convenient payment system that allows you to complete payments online with your credit card.  

Fees are collected at the beginning of the session.

The ten-session limit applies for all student and community clients. There is currently no option to continue past the 10-session limit. For students, sessions will renew every calendar year on their intake date.

We do not require or accept insurance.

You will have the option to continue counseling as a community client for a nominal fee. Counseling sessions to community clients are led by practicum students in the graduate program in the CU Denver School of Education and Human Development (SEHD) and are supervised by licensed counseling professionals. 

Yes, dependent on Fall semester enrollment.

Yes, our clinical staff provides services in Spanish and Mandarin based upon client preference.

For any questions or concerns about telehealth vs in-person therapy make sure to look at our guide on the pros and cons of each approach.