How to Make an Appointment

Initial Consultation

Your first visit with the UCC is what we call an initial consultation. This consultation is the starting point for every student making an appointment with the UCC for the first time, and allows us to assess your needs and make recommendations about services that may be a good fit for you. Initial consultations typically last 30 minutes, and you will meet with a UCC counselor who is equipped to listen to your concerns and assess what level of care is best for you.

Ways to schedule an initial consultation:

In-person: The best way to get set up with an appointment is to visit us in the Floyd Payne Campus Center, Suite 306 during business hours (M-F, 8;00am-4:30pm).

Phone: 615.963.5611

E-mail: please note that e-mail is not a secure form of communication. We discourage students, faculty, and staff from contacting us via e-mail regarding personal problems. The nature of e-mail is such that we cannot guarantee the confidentiality of your correspondence, nor do we find e-mail communications as useful as in-depth, face-to-face contact. Moreover, we cannot guarantee that we will read e-mail right away or respond in a timely fashion.

What to Expect

If you’ve never been to counseling before, you probably have a lot of questions about the process. Here’s what you can expect from your first appointment with the UCC.

On the day of your initial consultation, you will review and sign consent and initial appointment paperwork. During the initial consultation, the counselor will ask some follow-up questions to gather more information and better understand your concerns. The counselor will then make recommendations about what level and type of care may be best for you. Together, you will outline a plan that aligns with your needs.

The type of care recommended for you depends on your needs but could be one or more of the following:

  • Participating in a skills-based workshop
  • Participating in a counseling group
  • Brief, focused individual counseling
  • A referral to the medical clinic or psychiatric services
  • A referral for psychological assessment to test for ADHD and/or learning disabilities

Returning Clients

If you have been seen at the UCC before and are already working regularly with a particular counselor, you will be scheduled for an appointment with that counselor. If it has been some time since you were last seen, or the counselor you worked with before is no longer available, you may need to be scheduled for a return consultation.

Canceling or Rescheduling Appointments

Because counseling services are in high demand, missed appointments mean missed opportunities for other students in need of services. If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please let us know by 4:00 p.m. the day before the appointment. Please note that if you no-show or cancel three or more appointments, you may be removed from your counselor’s caseload.

Crises During Office Hours

The UCC is open Monday-Friday, 8:00M-4:30PM. Students that visit the UCC in crisis will be seen as soon as possible. It is helpful to call before coming to the UCC to determine counselor availability. When calling, be sure to tell the receptionist that you have an emergency and need to be seen at the earliest possible time.

NOTE: If you are having a medical emergency, please call 911 for help.

Crises Outside of Office Hours

If you are a TSU student in crisis after hours or over the weekend, please see the following options:

Safety Concerns: TSUPD: 615.963.5171

Mental Health Urgent and/or Crisis Concerns: Davidson County Mobile Crisis: 615.726.0125

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or Text 988