Our Services

When students initially contact our office, they are scheduled for a brief triage appointment. This appointment will take approximately 15 minutes and consists of a series of routine screening questions to help us determine the severity and immediacy of students' concerns.

Following the triage appointment, students are scheduled for an in-person intake appointment. During this meeting, a comprehensive evaluation is conducted by a counselor in order to collaboratively determine the best treatment options for students.

CPS provides free, short-term individual counseling to students. Counseling sessions are confidential and usually occur weekly for approximately 45 minutes. Within the context of a safe and professional relationship, counseling provides students with an opportunity to explore and better understand their concerns, develop more self-awareness, and enhance their coping skills, academic performance, self-esteem, relationships, and overall well-being.

Join a Group
The Fordham Counseling Center is launching a number of counseling groups to provide help and support for students. Students can struggle with stress, anxiety, loneliness, and a host of other issues; we want you to know that, no matter the issue, you are not alone.

What are counseling groups?
This is a question a lot of people ask, partly because so few people have the opportunity to participate in one. In a counseling group, members discuss things that are troubling them, and are encouraged to provide feedback to other group members. There are typically six-to-eight members in a group, along with two trained counselors who guide and facilitate group interactions.

Counseling groups provide a confidential, non-judgemental, and supportive space to share thoughts and feelings, and to receive meaningful feedback. It also provides an opportunity to get a better sense of how we relate to people, and how people may experience us.

Because counseling groups can talk about some serious issues, the first few sessions generally focus on establishing a sense of trust between members — group members and counselors work together to build a group environment that allows members to speak honestly and openly with each other.

This sense of trust and safety is a part of what allows groups to be so effective; by making a commitment to one another to participate in the group and maintain the confidentiality of the group, members become more comfortable talking about their concerns and receiving support.

But is a group right for me?
People are often hesitant to join counseling groups because they aren’t sure it will really apply to their specific concerns. However, studies generally find that groups are just as effective at helping people as individual therapy — which is to say, groups are very effective.

Counseling groups are guided and facilitated by trained counselors, who work to provide empathy, understanding, and insight for all group members. Additionally, many people report that their interaction with other group members provided them with a sense of understanding, hope, trust, and shared purpose with the group.

Also, humans interact with other people on a daily basis, and many times those interactions don’t go as smoothly as we hope. Because counseling groups involve social interaction, they help members understand their social identity and get gentle feedback on how others experience them in a way that just isn’t possible in individual therapy.

Okay, I’m curious, but hesitant…
That’s okay! In fact, that’s expected. If you’ve got something on your mind and think talking it out might help, call the counseling center or come see us in person. We’ll schedule some time to speak with you personally to learn more about you and figure out what might help. We might recommend individual therapy, or counseling groups, or both.

This year, we currently have counseling groups planned Monday-Thursday, and groups meet once per week.

For more information about groups, group schedules, and to inquire about participation, please contact Dr. Debbie Lawrence at Rose Hill CPS (718-817-3740) or Dr. Philicia Rubin at Lincoln Center CPS (212-636-6228).

Students who are currently in therapy at CPS are eligible for psychiatric services. These services involve an initial evaluation with a psychiatrist to determine whether psychotropic medication may be indicated for a student. If medication is indicated, the student will be provided with a prescription and scheduled for follow up appointments with the psychiatrist.

CPS staff are available to consult with faculty, administrators, staff, coaches, family members, and students about individual students of concern and/or general campus-wide mental health issues. Some common questions include inquiries about the services available to students, and how to respond to and support a student in distress. If you would like to consult with a CPS counselor, please contact us at 718-817-3725 (RH) or 212-636-6225 (LC), and inform the front desk that you would like to make a consultation appointment.

CPS provides personalized referrals for students who prefer or require longer term, specialized, and/or more intensive services. We collaborate with an extensive network of providers in our community, and will support students with finding and connecting with the treatment services they need. For more information on obtaining referrals, please contact our office 718-817-3725 RH or 212-636-6225 LC.

CPS offers a wide variety of psycho-educational and skills training workshops for students. The following workshops are currently being offered:

KORU 4 Week Mindfulness Workshop
Rose Hill
Every Tuesday from October 11 - November 1
5 - 6 p.m.

Lincoln Center
Every Thursday from October 20 - November 10
4:30 - 5:45 p.m.

To attend any of these workshops, please contact us at CPSwellness@fordham.edu.