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Appointments & Scheduling

Counseling Center

The Counseling Center offers many types of appointments to UNCW students. Please review the tabs listed under Appointment Information for details.

Appointment Information

In order to start therapy, you must first have an Initial Consult. During this appointment, students meet with a therapist to discuss their concerns and explore options. Based on this discussion and the therapists' review of the paperwork, the therapist will make recommendations for services. For example, self-help resources, workshops, brief goal-oriented individual, or group therapy, etc. Plan to arrive 15 minutes early to complete the required paperwork. Please note, the Counseling Center does not provide prescriptions for medications, or fill out paperwork/make recommendations for Emotional Support Animals.

Once you have met with a therapist, and it has been determined you are a good fit for our services, you will be scheduled for your first individual appointment. The UNCWCC typically provides short-term goal-oriented therapy, most commonly on an every-other-week basis for 50 minutes sessions. Therapy at the center is not recommended for students seeking or needing intensive or long-term treatment.

These are one-time appointments to help a student cope a mental health crisis (such as suicidal or homicidal thoughts, urges, plans, hallucinations or hearing voices; or an inability to cope with a recent crisis). There are therapists scheduled to be available for these appointments from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. M-F. (Summer hours may vary). To initiate a crisis consult, please come to the center, located on the 2nd floor in DePaolo Hall and complete the required paperwork.

After hours, crisis consultations may be obtained by calling the Counseling Center at 910.962.3746 and following the recorded instructions (option 3).

In the case of a life-threatening emergency: Please immediately call "911" at any time of the day or night.

Important Telephone Numbers

If you are concerned about a student

As health services providers, Counseling Center staff cannot recruit patients for treatment (i.e., reach out to the individual student directly to get them to start therapy). However, staff in the Office of the Dean of Students (ODOS) can reach out to students of concern. If you are concerned about a student and they are not in imminent danger, you can contact ODOS Case Management. UNCW employees can complete the "Concern for a Student" form. If a student is in imminent danger, please call 911.

The Counseling Center offers several structured, support or process groups. Groups offer a helpful alternative or supplement to individual counseling by encouraging participants to interact with others who have similar concerns.

All groups are designed to be confidential, safe, and supportive environments where members can provide feedback and support to one another, increase self-awareness, practice new ways of interacting, and learn new skills in coping. Before joining a group, students will have an opportunity to visit individually with the group facilitator(s).

Groups are popular and will fill up quickly. To participate you must be a currently enrolled UNCW student. These groups are limited to a maximum of 8 to 12 students (depending on the group). To participate, before the group start date, you will need to attend a 30-minute pre-group orientation appointment with the group leader. To schedule this appointment, call the Center and tell the staff which group you are interested in and ask them to schedule you for a group screen.

UNCW Counseling Center Spring 2025 Groups                           

Understanding Self & Others - This group offers a safe environment in which participants can enhance understanding of themselves and their patterns in relationships, receive support and feedback from others, identify and explore emotions, and experiment with new ways of relating to others. The focus of the group is on the "here and now," with the idea that through giving and receiving feedback, people will be able to practice new behaviors and gain new self-understanding to build more fulfilling connections in their lives. USO Group 1 Tues 2:30-4:00 pm Starts Feb 11th  USO Group 2- Wed 1:00-2:30 pm Starts Feb 12th.

Graduate Student’s Group Zoom only (Wednesday 3:00-4:30 pm): This group is for graduate students looking for a safe space to discuss topics and concerns related to being a graduate student. Topics discussed may include impostor syndrome, work-life balance, interpersonal relationships, navigating professional relationships and power dynamics, managing stress and anxiety, and others. The goal is to connect with other graduate students vulnerably and authentically, to give and receive support and feedback, and to create meaningful connection while honoring each group member’s unique and intersecting identities.  This group will start on Feb 12th.

Living in Color: A group for Students of Color (Monday 3:00-4:30 pm): The purpose of this group is to provide support and connection for any student of color and to provide a safe space to express concerns and process issues they might not be able to in other spaces on campus. Students will be able to discuss issues such as cultural identity, experiences of racism and microaggressions, and creating success at a PWI.  This group will also provide space for students of color to identify and learn to manage stressors impacting their mental health. The group will start Feb 10th.

In, Out and In Between: A group for LGBTQ+ Students (Wednesday, 3:00-4:30pm) This group welcomes students self-identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, or for those who may be questioning or exploring their sexual or gender identity. The purpose of this group is to foster connection and provide members with an affirming space. This group will provide a safe space to discuss issues related to being LGBTQ+, such as coming out, homophobia, and relationships. In addition, this can be a space to discuss stressors impacting mental health that may feel difficult to discuss elsewhere. The group will start Feb 12th.

Taming Anxiety Group (Tuesday 1:00-2:30 pm): This group is for students feeling anxious, having trouble letting go of worries, or not living the life they want because of fear.  By participating in this group students will better understand anxiety, identify and decrease unhelpful responses to it, and form skills to help reduce the negative effects of anxiety on their life.  The group will also provide a safe, supportive, and encouraging environment to discuss and process anxiety challenges and achievements.  The group will start Feb 11th.

Skills Training (Thursdays, 3:00-4:30 pm): Skills participants learn in this educational group include:   Core Mindfulness – skills to enhance self-awareness, ability to be in the moment, focus attention; and make more effective choices; Emotion Regulation – skills to decrease emotional reactivity to life situations and events, to identify emotions, reduce vulnerability to negative emotions, and increase frequency of positive emotions in daily life; Distress Tolerance  – skills to increase ability to cope effectively with intense emotions or difficult situations; Interpersonal Effectiveness – skills for meeting needs in social interactions, including increasing ability to effectively make requests and set boundaries. The group will start on Feb 13th.

Connections: Support & Skills Group (Mon, 1:00-2:00pm; 1/27/25 to 4/28/25). This group is an opportunity for students to connect with each other and two CC therapists to talk about wellness, stress management and other coping skills, adjustment to college life, campus resources, relationships, and other student-initiated topics. This group is not considered a therapy group and does not require a pre-group orientation. During this weekly hour, students can feel free to drop by and join in at DePaolo Hall 2nd Floor conference room across from the SHC. 

Students who are seeking and/or needing intensive or long-term treatment, not eligible for on campus counseling services, or who are interested in meeting with an off-campus therapist for other reasons, can meet with our Case Manager, Cierra Alsobrooks. During these 30-minute appointments, students will have an opportunity to briefly discuss their concerns and will be provided with a list of community-based providers that will match their needs. Students can use our referral database to find a local therapist or use Psychology Today for additional options.