What We Do

Make an Appointment for Ongoing Therapy


FOR CRISIS AND ON-DEMAND SERVICES

If you or someone you know is experiencing a life threatening emergency, call: 9-1-1 or UNIVERSITY POLICE: (813) 974-2628.

If you are not in a life-threatening emergency and are need of immediate support:  

  • You can use a same-day in-person appointment with any of our counselors.  You may complete the necessary paperwork once you arrive.

  •  You can call the Counseling Center front desk (813-974-2831) if you have questions and we will be happy to clarify the different options. 

For ongoing Therapy

Making Your First Appointment

This page outlines the process for making an appointment with a counselor At the Counseling Center on th USF Tampa Campus. Please click the following links to make an appointment in or . It's easier than ever to make your first appointment at the USF Counseling Center! Follow the steps below to make an appointment at the Counseling Center if:

  • You have never been treated at this center
  • You have not met with a Counseling Center provider in the last 6 months.

If you are interested in receiving any one of the following services, your first step is to set up an intake appointment with one of our providers:

  •  Short-term individual counseling 
    • We specialize in goal-oriented, short-term therapy.  Most students attend 3-4 sessions per semester (on average), which occur about every 2-4 weeks (but there鈥檚 no session limit).  You can return any semester that you鈥檙e a registered student.  If you鈥檙e looking for more in-depth services, we can also help connect you to them.
  •  Group counseling
  •  Relationship/Couples counseling  

STEPS FOR MAKING AN INTAKE APPOINTMENT 

How to make an appt graphic

Before requesting routine Counseling Center services, please be sure that you are enrolled at a USF campus or have paid the student health fee for the current semester.  

1. Then Complete and select "Schedule an Initial Appointment."

    • If you need assistance with the forms, please call us at (813) 974-2831.
    • STARTING 07/21/2025, STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO SCHEDULE THEIR INITIAL APPOINTMENTS ONLINE AFTER COMPLETING A BRIEF TREATMENT CONSENT. The treatment consent forms are expected to take about 10 minutes and need to be completed in one sitting.
      • If you are not ready to schedule an appointment at the time you are completing the paperwork, you can select 鈥淚 prefer not to schedule at this time.鈥 You can then call us at (813)-974-2831 when you are ready to schedule the appointment.
      • If none of the listed appointment times align with your schedule, you can select 鈥淣one of these times fit my schedule鈥 and call us at (813-974-2831) to discuss options
      • You have the option of participating in either an in-person or telehealth appointment.
      • If you choose a telehealth appointment, you will need to:
        • Be in the state of Florida at the time of the appointment
        • Identify a private and confidential location for your appointment.
    • See 鈥淭ips for Completing the Online Forms鈥 below for more details 

2. Check out our awesome providers to see if you have a preference for who might be the best fit for you, and we will do our best to match your preferences based on availability. 

3. If you did not schedule your initial appointment online, you can call our front desk (813-974-2831)  to schedule it. 

    • You have the option of participating in either an in-person or telehealth appointment.

4. Before your appointment, you will receive instructions to complete several symptom questionnaires. These questionnaires will provide us with information on how to best serve you. Please complete them within 24 hours of your first appointment.

NOTE: If for any reason you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment,

    • Please contact us no later than 5:00 pm the business day before your appointment to avoid the $30 late cancellation fee.

Before your appointment, feel free to use these online tools or join one of our drop-in groups for some additional coping skills while you wait.  

During Your First Appointment (Intake)

During your first appointment, we will focus on getting a detailed understanding of why you are seeking counseling and identifying your goals for therapy. Please arrive 15 minutes early to your first appointment, either by coming to the Counseling Center at USF SVC 2124 or joining the telehealth video call. You will receive instructions to join telehealth appointments after the appointment is made.

Tips For Completing the Online Forms

It is important to be aware of the following information:

  1. The online paperwork will take 10 minutes to complete and must be completed in one sitting. Unfortunately, you will not be able to save your information once you have started completing it. If you are idle for too long, the forms will time out.
  2.  If you have difficulty completing forms, we recommend trying a different browser or clearing your cache and cookies in your current browser.
  3. If you have not completed your paperwork online, or if you have incorrectly or incompletely completed it, you will be asked to complete it before you schedule your first appointment. If you need assistance with your online paperwork, please call the front office at (813) 974-2831 to verify.
  4. Completing online paperwork does not constitute treatment or the beginning of a treatment relationship with a mental health provider. Your online paperwork will not be reviewed by a Counseling Center provider until you arrive for your appointment. If you are in need of immediate assistance, please call the Center during business hours, or call (813) 974-2831 to speak to a licensed provider after hours.
    • Forms will be deleted if you do not call within 7 days of completing them to schedule an appointment.
  5. Before each of your appointments (up to 1 day before) complete the brief assessment (OQ) about your current functioning.
    • You will receive instructions for taking this assessment after making your first appointment.

Ready? Complete forms . 

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