Your initial appointment with the counseling center can be scheduled after your paperwork has been completed. The link for online paperwork is below. Feel free to call if you aren't sure about which forms to complete using the password: Eagles
Our phone number is (509) 359-2366.
Ongoing appointments are generally scheduled in consultation with your counselor. Students must make appointments on their own behalf.
While Counseling and Wellness (CWS) offers both in-person and telehealth services, students must be located in Washington State during the therapy session per state regulations.
If you are a new client seeking a single session therapy appointment, you will need to fill out the following forms -
1. New Client Information
2. Telemental Health Consent (if needed)
If you are a new client seeking ongoing services, you will need to fill out the following forms -
1. New Client Information
2. Counseling Objectives
3. Telemental Health Consent (if needed)
4. Student Schedule (optional).
If you are a returning client, you may need to update forms before being scheduled. Please call the Cheney office and the receptionist will be happy to assist you with the process!
During the regular school year, Cheney campus office hours are Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm. Closed for lunch from 12 pm to 1 pm. Staff meetings are generally Thursday mornings. For students on the Spokane campus, a counselor is based out of the Catalyst Building Mon, Tues, Weds, and Fri; however, all scheduling is done through the Cheney office.
During the summer, the counseling office is open from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Walk-in/crisis appointments are scheduled on an as-needed basis.
There are university support systems that may reach out to a student if you are concerned and unable to convince the student to seek out services on their own.
The Student Accommodations and Support Services (SASS) team can assist students with a wide variety of issues and challenges. This can include significant health issues that have impacted studies, a death in the family, a serious medical issue, etc.
In some situations, the SASS team can reach out to a student.
Students can connect with a member of the SASS team by filling out this form: Student Intake Form
If you are a concerned faculty, staff, or community member, you can alert the SASS team about a student by clicking here: iCare
The EWU SASS Team has created a crisis check list that can be accessed here: Crisis Check List
However, if a student is an immediate risk to self or others, please call 911.
Counseling and Wellness Services are available to enrolled EWU students taking 6 or more credits.
Students in online degree only programs will need to contact CWS regarding service options. Students in these programs may only be eligible for case management services.
While CWS is offering telehealth services, students must be located in Washington State during the therapy session per state regulations. If you are currently residing outside of the state, a CWS staff member may be able to offer referrals for your area.
Faculty/staff and parents can request a consultation with a counselor to discuss student concerns.
Counseling and Wellness services is funded by fees associated with tuition. There is no additional out of pocket cost to registered EWU students.
Counseling and Wellness Services does not provide ESA letters or documentation. Your primary care provider may be able to help you. Your insurance provider may also be able to provide you with referrals.
A combination of in-person and telehealth appointments are available.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the Crisis Line at 988.
If you or someone you know are at imminent risk of serious injury or death, please call 911.
Otherwise, there are some other options.
TalkCampus is a free, peer-to-peer app for mental health support. Click on the link to find out where to download: TalkCampus
The Washington Warm Line is available Monday to Sunday from 12:30 pm to 9 pm. It is a is a peer support help line for people living with emotional and mental health challenges. Calls are answered by specially-trained volunteers who have lived experience with mental health challenges. 1-877-500-WARM (9276)
There is also the Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the US. A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds, all from a secure online platform.
Here is a guided meditation for panic attacks and anxiety: Guided Imagery for Panic Attacks
Like most university counseling centers, EWU ongoing counseling services are offered on a short-term basis. This typically consists of 1 to 6 sessions.
This standard is also the session limit for EWU students per year.
Please note that a no show appointment will count towards your session limit.
There is no session limit to group counseling appointments, and Biofeedback appointments do not count towards the session limit.
Even if a student has reached their session limit, crisis walk-in hours are still available.
Students who need or desire longer term therapy can be provided with resources to help find a community counselor. CWS has a community referral specialist on staff.
Because the needs and situations of students will be different, some students may receive fewer counseling sessions than their peers.
Like other healthcare centers, appointments at Counseling and Wellness Services must be initiated and made by the student seeking services. Please see the above question, "I'm concerned about a student/friend/roommate. What resources are there?"
Providing supporting documentation is a service that best occurs within the context of an ongoing therapeutic relationship.
If you have never been seen at the counseling center, or if your engagement with the center has been very limited, it is unlikely that we will be able to provide you with a letter of support. While our counselors remain supportive of students' academic efforts, they generally cannot confirm difficulties or issues about which they have no prior information or knowledge.
However, there are times such letters can be written. It will depend upon the nature of the letter you are requesting, the time frame of which it's requested, the concerns relevant to the letter, the degree to which a student has been engaged with the counseling center, and the counselor's professional judgement.
For information about Exceptional Circumstances Withdrawal and Financial Aid Appeals, Records & Registration has useful information regarding documentation:
Exceptional Circumstances Withdrawal
Please be sure to check in with the Financial Aid Office and CAAR if you are considering an Exceptional Circumstances Withdrawal.
Examples of appeal documentation are also listed on the FA Webpage.
If you are considering withdrawing from one or more classes or planning an appeal, it may be helpful to first talk with the Center for Academic Advising & Retention (CAAR) and the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office about any potential decisions, options, and expected outcomes.
Some students are not best served by short term counseling. Those students may get directed to our case manager for an outside referral.
This typically happens during the intake appointment.
Here are a few reasons why a student may not be suited for our counseling center's short term model of counseling:
- The student may already have a mental health provider.
- The student is seeking psychological assessment testing: for example, ADHD, learning disability, or other type of disability assessment evaluation. Our office is unable to provide that testing.
- A student may have court-ordered counseling.
- A student may have a mental health condition that requires ongoing, long-term care.
- A student who needs or wants to be seen more than 1 to 4 times a month.
- A student who requires close monitoring with psychiatric services.
