University Counseling Center

Accredited by the International Accreditation of Counseling Services, Azusa Pacific’s University Counseling Center (UCC) exists to empower students to realize their personal and academic potential by promoting psychological, social, and spiritual wellness through Christian counseling and outreach services.

Students visit the University Counseling Center for a variety of reasons. Some seek help coping with the pressures associated with a challenging academic environment or adjustment to college life. Others want to learn how to be more effective in developing and maintaining relationships with others. Counseling can be beneficial for students who are feeling depressed or anxious, as well as those who want to examine their beliefs or explore their current life situation. The UCC offers students the opportunity to look at themselves and their environment and to change the way they think, feel, and behave so that they can make the most of their time at APU.

Services available to currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate students include:

• Individual counseling
• Couples counseling
• Premarital counseling
• Group counseling
• Crisis intervention
• Training and educational workshops

Make an Appointment

In emergency situations, call 911 first and then contact the Department of Campus Safety at (626) 815-5000.

Azusa Pacific University is a member of the Jed Health Matters Campus Program, which is designed to help colleges and universities promote emotional wellbeing and mental health programming, reduce substance abuse, and prevent suicide among students.

The Campus Prevention Network (CPN) Seal of Prevention recognizes Azusa Pacific University as a highly regarded institution for best-in-class digital student programming to promote health, safety, well-being, and inclusion. This student programming communicates and lays action to our commitment to diversity as an expression of God’s image, love, and boundless creativity.

We are located on the Azusa East Campus next to the Student Health Center in Magnolia Court. The Services at the UCC are always free and confidential.

The UCC is happy to support your counseling needs with same-day urgent care appointments. Please walk in to the center between 8:30am-12 and 1-4:30pm for urgent care support or call 626-815-2109 for 24/7 crisis care. In the case of an emergency, call 911.

Non urgent appointments can be scheduled on the MyCougar Health Patient Portal, in person at the UCC, or over the phone by calling 626-815-2109. Please be sure to complete the required forms before your appointment, found on your MyCougar Health Patient Portal. This secure website gives students convenient access to personal health information. Using APU credentials, students can complete forms for an initial appointment at the University Counseling Center and exchange secure messages with counselors. If you have any questions or are unsure of what you need, please give us a call (626) 815-2109 and we will be happy to assist you.

Make an Appointment/Complete Forms

Crisis Situations

If a student is in crisis and needs to speak with a counselor right away:

• In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
• To access 24/7 crisis counseling by phone, call (626) 815-2109 and follow the prompts to be connected to a mental health professional.
• Students can also visit the UCC office during normal business hours to request an Urgent Care appointment.
• If a student has any questions or is unsure of what they need, they are encouraged to call (626) 815-2109 to speak with someone.

Canceling or Rescheduling a Session

In the event that you miss a session, your counselor will follow up with you through the secure messaging system within the MyCougar Health Patient Portal. This allows for easy follow-up and communication in the event that an appointment needs to be rescheduled.

• To respond to a message, select the “Messages” option listed at the top of the screen.
• Select the message to which you would like to send a response.
• Select the “Reply” option listed at the top of the screen.
• Write your message.
• Select “Submit.”

In the event that you would like to cancel your session and you cannot send a secure message through the MyCougar Health Patient Portal, call us at (626) 815-2109.

Confidentiality

In accordance with professional ethics and California state law, any information shared in the context of professional counseling is considered confidential, and generally cannot be disclosed to anyone outside of the University Counseling Center (UCC), with the following exceptions:

1. You (the client) give written authorization for the sharing of information.
2. Your counselor believes that you are a danger to harm or kill yourself, or that you are gravely disabled. In this case, we may need to notify others who could assist in assuring your safety.
3. Your counselor believes that you are a danger to harm another person or the property of another person. In this case the police, Campus Safety, the Student Affairs Care Team, and the person in danger might be notified by the UCC.
4. Your counselor is informed of or suspects the abuse or potential abuse of any child. If you are under the age of 18 and report that you have been abused, we are required to report this information to the appropriate child protection agency. If you are over the age of 18 and report that you have been abused, and also report that the abuser currently has contact with children under the age of 18, we may also need to contact Child Protective Services (CPS).
5. Your counselor is informed that you have accessed, streamed, texted, shared, or downloaded material where a child, under the age of 18-years-old, is engaged in any sexual act.
6. Your counselor is informed of or suspects the abuse or potential abuse of any elderly person or other dependent adult. These cases are also reported to the appropriate protective agency.
7. Some staff members at the UCC are unlicensed, supervised counselors. In these cases, counseling information is discussed with a clinical supervisor employed by the UCC.
8. The UCC keeps a confidential written record of your treatment. Client records are considered the property of the UCC, and are subject to review by any UCC counselor. A UCC file typically includes initial paperwork and assessment results, brief session notes, and any other pertinent counseling-related information. This information is used as a basis for planning your care, monitoring your progress, and for research evaluating the quality and effectiveness of our services. Client information is stored in keyed file cabinets and electronically on a file server that is password protected and housed in a physically secured facility. In certain legally defined situations, our records may be subpoenaed, and we may be required to surrender them. The UCC makes reasonable attempts to contact current or former clients before releasing records in these situations. Please ask your counselor if you have any questions about counseling records.

If you have been the victim of a crime, we can assist you in making a report to the police or APU Campus Safety if you choose to do so. You may also file an anonymous Silent Informant report.