Counseling and Psychological Services

ICC logo CAPS logo

Serving the mental health needs of FGCU students

Please visit our COVID-19 Information and Resources page.

Read the official CAPS statement on George Floyd and Black Lives Matter:

Image of a package Eagle Care

CAPS Eagle Mental Health Care Package: Coping with COVID-19 & Beyond

CAPS Cares about our student population as well as our fellow coworkers at FGCU. At CAPS, we want to provide our FGCU family with ways to cope and stay healthy mentally as well as physically through this COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond. Please click on the link provided to get helpful tips and strategies on topics such as Self-Compassion, Mindfulness, Physical Wellness, Stress Management, Campus Resources, Social Connectedness, Routines and more.

The CAPS Team is here for our community!

READ OUR EAGLE CARE PACKAGE

Therapy Talk is an interactive way for students at FGCU to learn more about mental health and share more about their own experiences using Instagram Stories. Some weeks we‘ll have opportunities to ask one of our therapists questions and other weeks we’ll have opportunities for you to share your own thoughts and ideas! Therapy Talk will include topics like: relationships, healthy coping skills, substance use, and more!⁣

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CAPS on Camera features a variety of videos that range from clinical, to informative, to just plain fun. Our staff is here to provide support to those in our community who are looking to gain knowledge of different mental health issues and identify applicable skills in navigating difficult life situations. Take from this channel what you find appropriate to your current situation, and don’t forget to have fun along the way.

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CAPS is open and available to support our entire FGCU community throughout the upcoming summer months.

CAPS' doors will be open 10:00am - 2:00pm, Monday-Friday. We are available by phone 239-590-7950 between the hours of 9:00am - 4:00pm Monday - Friday until further notice.

All CAPS services are currently being offered through Telehealth, please come to CAPS' physical location ONLY if you are experiencing a mental health crisis. If you are experiencing an emergency, please call your local emergency services.

If you are struggling with the impact of the virus, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has offered some useful tips.

For students:
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If you are taking summer courses at FGCU, you are automatically eligible for our services. If you were enrolled in Spring semester and plan to take Fall classes as well, you can access CAPS services through the summer for FREE. We are offering counseling, therapy, psychiatry, dietitian, consultation, workshops and some group therapy through our online, HIPAA compliant and encrypted platform. This allows us to continue to provide confidential services to you to address a variety of mental health concerns.
For faculty and staff:
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We are offering telephone or video consultation and support. This might include answering questions about our services, consulting about a specific student or situation, or getting the perspective of a mental health professional. Unfortunately, we cannot offer therapy services to faculty or staff. We can however, talk with you about any therapeutic needs you may have and offer referrals or guidance to access other therapeutic services.
For the entire University community:
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Please contact CAPS at (239) 590-7950 or email caps@fgcu.edu for more information or to establish services.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is the main source of mental health support and psycho-therapeutic services on campus

Our center is fully accredited and most of our services are covered for students who are enrolled in the current semester and/or who have already paid health fees for the current academic term. Unfortunately, we cannot provide services for students who are not enrolled in the current semester, alumni, faculty or staff. The one exception is for students who are taking one semester off between two enrolled semesters. In that case, the student can pay a Health Bridge fee ($54) to bridge the gap in services between two enrolled semesters. A Health Bridge is required for students to be seen for one semester following the last semester in which they were enrolled (for example, during the summer following a spring semester in which they were enrolled). The fee can be paid at Student Health or visit the CAPS office to pick up the appropriate forms for payment at the registrar's office.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to COVID-19, we are waiving the Health Bridge fee for the time being. If you are in between enrolled semester, please let your clinician or Client Services know.

Parking
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Unfortunately, there is no parking for students in the lot next to our building. While you might see reserved spaces that are empty, those are reserved for Community Counseling Center clients, not CAPS clients. This is because community members do not have access to park anywhere else on campus. Please consider parking in garage 2 or 4 if you need to drive for your CAPS appointment.
Counseling Services
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College life can be challenging and is often stressful. Students experience those challenges in a number of different ways: difficulties adjusting to college, confusion in deciding on a major or career path, struggles in relationships, or making friends or getting along with a roommate. Many students feel anxious, depressed, confused or overwhelmed at some point during their college experience and need help dealing with feelings and problems that seem beyond their control.

For college students, that help may come from friends, family members, significant others, etc., but in some cases, help is needed from a trained professional. Counseling is a process that can help people identify more effective strategies both to cope with difficult situations and to achieve their goals. While some people who seek counseling have chronic emotional difficulties, most are dealing with normal life events and are simply in need of an objective listener — someone who doesn't judge and who can help them see new alternatives.

Individual counseling is basically a collaborative effort between you and your counselor. Our goal is to provide an open, supportive and confidential environment for you to address the issues that are concerning you.

We have a printable brochure with basic information about our Center. Print brochure
Services Provided
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CAPS provides services to all FGCU students while currently enrolled in a semester, in which services take place.

Individual Counseling

Group Counseling

Relationship Counseling

Psychiatric Services

Case Management

Consultation

Outreach Programs*

Crisis Intervention

Therapy Assisted Online (TAO)

Testing for LD and/or ADHD**

Biofeedback / Virtual Reality

Alcohol and/or Marijuana Use Psychoeducational Group***

Suicide Prevention Programs

Referrals to Community Resources

Study Strategies

Tips/Strategies for Dealing with Difficult People

Relationship Self-Assessments

Online Presentations and Self-Help Resources

* If you'd like to request an outreach presentation for your organization or academic class, please contact our Director of Outreach and Prevention.

** We offer formalized testing for college students at a reduced rate from the prevailing rate in private sector.

*** Typically for students who have been sanctioned, this service incurs a cost.
Attendance Policy
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CAPS makes every effort to provide individual services as quickly and efficiently as possible. Due to the high demand for counseling/therapy and psychiatry services, the following attendance policy is in place. This policy applies to students receiving any clinical service from any member of the clinical staff.

(1) You can opt-in to our courtesy appointment reminder system, whereby you will receive a text message reminder for your appointment. Opting in or out of the reminder system in no way changes any no-show charge.

(2) Clients who do not show for an appointment will be charged a no-show fee. The fee is $25 for any clinician, any appointment type or length (not including group sessions), and $45 for the psychiatrist or LD/ADHD testing. It appears on your FGCU account as a miscellaneous medical charge. You will be charged a no-show or late cancellation fee if you do not cancel at least 24 hours before your appointment time.

(3) Clients who need to cancel or change an appointment with any clinician are expected to do so as far in advance as possible. You may leave a message on nights/weekends to cancel an upcoming appointment (24 hour notice is required to avoid no-show or late cancellation fee). Do not use the HelpLine to change or cancel an appointment.

(5) CAPS is not a medication clinic. You might be required to attend therapy or case management appointments to be eligible for psychiatric services at CAPS.

(6) Some clinicians and clients set up recurring appointments (i.e., same day and time each week). If you cancel or no-show for an appointment, we are left to assume you are no longer interested in maintaining your recurring appointments unless you specifically ask us to schedule you for a subsequent appointment.

Clients who show a pattern of no-show or cancellation of appointments may have their eligibility for services suspended. Clinicians reserve the right to suspend or terminate services after three (3) missed (canceled or no-show) appointments. If you have any questions about the Attendance Policy, please consult your clinician.

View full informed consent form
Training Programs
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CAPS has served as a training site for Master’s level clinicians (i.e., graduate assistants), primarily from academic programs focused on mental health counseling and social work, since academic year 2001-2002. While many of our graduate assistants come from FGCU’s own accredited Mental Health Counseling program, we have also hosted students from programs of social work or counseling programs at other schools. We host 3 graduate assistants each academic year.

In academic year 2013-2014 CAPS hosted our first Doctoral Interns. Later that year CAPS was awarded membership in the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), which allows us to advertise our training site and recruit from the organization that runs the doctoral internship match process. We currently host 3 Doctoral Interns each academic year and take their feedback into strong consideration in our efforts to continuously improve our training program.

We have several licensed mental health counselors and several licensed psychologists on staff who provide individual supervision to trainees. As a site, we generally ascribe to a developmental model of supervision. This means working to meet the trainee where she/he is, provide feedback and opportunities appropriate to that level of development, and encourage movement toward a next level of development clinically, professionally, and theoretically. We highly value our trainees and welcome any questions or feedback you may have. For detailed information and application instructions go to:

Master’s Level and Doctoral Practicum Training

Doctoral Internship

Make an appointment

Virtual appointments usually last about an hour, so to get started:

Call CAPS 239-590-7950.
Have your student ID available.
You will be asked to provide a few details so we may assist you.

In Crisis?

If you feel like you may be in danger of hurting yourself or others, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
If you are an FGCU student in immediate distress outside of normal business hours (evenings, weekends, and holidays) who would like to speak with a mental health professional can call the CAPS help line: 239-745-EARS (3277).

Threat Assessment & Management Team

FGCU cultivates a secure community within a supportive and accessible living, learning and working environment. It is standard practice on university campuses to promote safety through a Threat Assessment & Management Team (TAMT) empowered to investigate, assess and manage risks of violence by any troubled community member.

Learn More Report a Threat

Mental Health Screening

If you are concerned about your own mental health, please take this anonymous screening for depression, anxiety, substance abuse or other issues from any computer.

Take anonymous screening

TAO

Therapist Assisted Online

TAO is an interactive, dynamic, easy-to-access online program that provides support for anxiety, depression and other common concerns. As a TAO participant, each week you will watch short videos, complete skill-building exercises and meet with a counselor through a secure video session to briefly touch base.

*sign up with your FGCU email address for access*

What is TAO? video Access TAO

Counseling Resources

Group Counseling

Group counseling is a form of helping in which a small number of people come together under the guidance of a professionally trained therapist to help themselves and one another.

Self Help

Links for self help will open video or voice-over presentations; however, most of these links will only open on Windows PCs and will not open on IOS or portable devices.

GET SELF HELP

Outreach Events

The goals of our outreach efforts are to decrease stigma associated with mental health struggles.

SEE EVENTS

Community Providers

Counseling and Psychological Services is proud to announce our Counseling Center Referral System.

Our online Community Provider Database allows you to input information that will assist you in finding a mental health provider suitable to your needs. We have offered inclusion in this database to all local providers. Other than confirming the good standing of their license to practice in the state of Florida, CAPS in no way endorses any specific provider and each provider is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of their listing.

This system will also allow counseling service providers in the community to join our growing network of associated providers that desire to work with FGCU students, faculty, and staff.

ACCESS DATABASE

Meet the team at our new home

Our team is comprised of full-time and part-time professional counselors and therapists. Licensed psychologists, masters-level counselors and graduate-level interns under the supervision of one of the licensed clinicians provide needed assistance. A psychiatrist is also available for consultation.

Meet the Team

Teenage Girl Visits Doctor's Office Suffering With Depression

We are here to serve your mental health needs