Services Offered

CONFIDENTIALITY

You can be assured that everything you tell your therapist will be completely private and confidential, and will not be revealed or released to anyone outside of the counseling office (on-or-off-campus) without your written consent, unless it is necessary to prevent injury to yourself or others, or as otherwise required by law. We encourage you to discuss any concerns you have about confidentiality or privacy in your first visit with your therapist. All psychological counselors at CSUDH take their ethical and legal obligation to maintain confidentiality very seriously.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU VISIT US

Learn about our services
Schedule an assessment appointment
Determine what service will best meet your needs

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT US TO DO

Respect your privacy
Respect your unique identities and experiences.
Invite you to co-create your treatment plan
Ask your feedback on your experience with your provider

Individual Counseling

Short-term individual counseling consists of meeting one-on-one with a counselor. Each session lasting approximately 45 minutes. During the counseling process, you and your therapist will work together to establish and work towards counseling goals.

While there are no specific criteria for what or how to talk about your issues in session, most therapists would probably agree that the more you participate, the more you can expect to gain from the experience. All of the psychological staff at CSUDH believe that it is important for you to feel comfortable and safe in counseling, and want you to be the judge of how much you will share, about what, when, and with whom.

If you are interested in counseling services, please call Student Psychological Services for more information, or visit our Scheduling An Appointment page. You will be directed to fill out the forms for Individual Therapy on our forms page here

Support Groups

Group counseling is a highly effective type of psychotherapy that involves meeting with a group of individuals who face similar concerns. Group sessions involve sharing your experiences and listening to others’ experiences in a supportive environment.

Some groups require a weekly commitment while other groups remain open for students to join as needed. Select groups have pre-screenings to ensure the group is a good fit for you and that you are a good fit for the group.

If you are interested in participating in a group, please call Student Psychological Services at 310.243.3818 to get information about how to sign-up. You will be directed to Toro Health Patient Portal to acknowledge the consent form for service. Groups are limited in size, so reach out as soon as possible. Groups vary from semester to semester depending on the needs of the students.

Below is the Support Groups Schedule:

ECOTHERAPY

This weekly group is designed to help students harness the power of nature to decrease stress, improve overall quality of life, and shift from a doing-mode to being-mode.

Facilitated by Dr. Bruce Wallace. Meets in-person weekly on Tuesdays from 12:00pm- 1:00pm, starting September 12, 2023.

DATING & RELATIONSHIPS

Dating can be a process of self-discovery. This group is designed to support students as they understand and experience romantic connections. Group members will learn communication strategies, differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships, and skills to manage break-ups and heartbreak. Students do not need to be in a current relationship to participate.

Facilitated by Dr. Bruce Wallace and Dr. Norma Quintero. Meets in-person weekly on Tuesdays from 2:30pm- 3:30pm, starting September 12, 2023.

HOME

The group is designed to offer support to students affected by immigration laws, processes, political climate, and/or status. The impact may be directly on you, your family members, and/or your friends. This will be a confidential and safe space to discuss your concerns, learn methods for self-care, and provide you with resources to create an empowered community of support.

Facilitated by Dr. Norma Quintero. Meets both in-person (LSU Room 111) and via Zoom on Tuesdays from 4:00pm - 5:00pm, on the following dates: September 12, October 3 & 24, November 14, & December 5, 2023.

GRIEF & LOSS

This group provides a safe space for exploring grief, sharing stories, and healing through mutual support. This group is open to students who have experienced the death of a loved one.

Facilitated by Dr. Sergio Mancilla. Meets in person on Wednesdays from 5:00pm - 6:00pm, on the following dates: September 19, October 17, November 14, & December 5, 2023.

PARENT CHATS

This group is designed to offer a virtual space for conversations on the needs of student parents and how we can grow together. Join this community to create a place of community to talk about the joys and challenges of raising children while earning a college degree.

Facilitated by Dr. Katie Johnson. Meets virtually on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 3:30pm-4:30pm, starting on October 18, 2023.

STILL YOUR MIND

Do you experience racing thoughts? Is your mind always busy? Would you like to slow down? You have the key to cultivate peace of mind. This 6-week group will discuss the value of mindfulness in promoting introspection and stillness of mind.

Facilitated by Dr. Norma Quintero. Meets in-person weekly on Mondays from 2:30pm- 3:45pm, starting September 18, 2023

I’M FIRST: A SPACE TO CONNECT WITH FIRST GENERATION TOROS

We invite you to join this support group to speak on your experiences, create and foster relationships with first-generation students.

Facilitated by Dr. Sergio Mancilla. Meets in-person bi-monthly on Thursdays from 2:30pm- 3:45pm on September 14 & 28, October 12 & 26, November 9 & 30, 2023.

WALKING FOR WELLNESS DROP-IN

A walk n’ talk drop-in group where you can consult with a therapist, make friends, get in your steps, improve your mood, increase your fitness, and get fresh air and sunshine. All abilities and fitness levels are welcome.

Facilitated by Dr. Norma Quintero, Dr. Sergio Mancilla, & Mj Nguyen. Meets in-person weekly on Wednesdays from 9:00am- 9:45pm, starting September 13, 2023.

Therapeutic Workshops

We offer three different therapeutic workshops: Anxiety Toolbox, RIO and Coping with Depression. Each workshop is a 3-week psychoeducational workshop series designed to help you learn useful tools for addressing common presenting concerns (e.g., anxiety, stress, depression). It is important that the the workshops are attended in order.

All workshop series come with a student workbook that will allow you to engage in the materials in the sessions and practice your new skills between sessions.

If you are interested in participating in a workshop, please call Student Psychological Services at 310.243.3818 to get information about how to sign-up. You will be directed to fill out the Group Therapy Forms on our torohealth.csudh.edu. Workshops are limited in size, so reach out as soon as possible.

Below is the Therapeutic Workshops Schedule:

ANXIETY TOOLBOX

Anxiety Toolbox is a fast-paced three-session workshop intended to help you increase your understanding and knowledge about anxiety. The goal is to provide you with some skills to recognize and manage anxiety symptoms you may be experiencing. Anxiety Toolbox is a curriculum-driven workshop series with structure and specific learning objectives, with each workshop building on material from the preceding one(s).

Facilitated by Dr. Michael Fenske. Offered virtually on Wednesdays from 11:00am-12:00pm.

NOTE: To participate in Anxiety Toolbox, you must be referred by a Student Psychological Services counselor.

RIO

RIO (Recognition, Insight, and Openness) is a 3-week workshop. The main goals of RIO are to learn useful tools to recognize your concerns and to develop a clearer idea of what you want to change in your life. RIO is a great place to start your counseling journey and is typically recommended prior to beginning individual counseling.

Facilitated by Dr. Sergio Mancilla. Offered in-person on Wednesdays from 10:00am-11:00am.

NOTE: To participate in RIO, you must be referred by a Student Psychological Services counselor.

ADHD WORKSHOP

Increase your understanding and knowledge about Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and learn ways to improve executive skill such as: organization, sustained attention, task initiation, time management, emotional control and working memory.

Facilitated by Dr. Katie Johnson. Offered in-person on Tuesdays from 3:30pm-4:30pm.

NOTE: To participate in the ADHD Workshop, you must be diagnosed with ADHD.

Faculty & Staff Consultations

Faculty and staff are encouraged to contact us for individual mental health consultations. Some reasons for consultations with SPS might include:

Discussing a student in distress
Discussing disruptive behavior in the classroom
Seeking support around improving mental health in the work environment
Obtaining general mental health information or supportive resources

For more information, please contact:

Denna Sanchez, Ph.D.
Director, Student Psychological Services
dsanchez@csudh.edu
310.243.3818

Telehealth Services

Telehealth is the practice of using technology (telephone and/or video conferencing) to virtually deliver psychological counseling. At Student Psychological Services, we utilize a HIPAA-compliant Zoom which provides the highest level of security available to protect your confidential information.

How to make the most of your Zoom sessions:

Make sure the lighting in your environment is adequate for your therapist to see you
Be mindful of audio quality and possible noises in your environment that may impact your therapist’s ability to hear you
Make sure you are in a comfortable, safe, and private space
If the connection is poor, your therapist may have to call you instead