Individual Counseling

At Counseling & Psychological Services, our mission is to support you in navigating life’s challenges while promoting your mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Choosing our services means receiving care from a team of licensed mental health professionals, residents in counseling, and supervised graduate-level interns who provide confidential support in accordance with HIPAA regulations. We offer individualized counseling to help you manage difficult life experiences, reduce psychological distress, and develop effective coping strategies in a safe, supportive environment.

What sets us apart from other resources on campus is our ability to provide specialty care for a wide range of mental, emotional, behavioral, and relational concerns — with the option to integrate spiritual principles into your counseling process if you wish.

Our Counseling Paths

Our services are designed to meet you where you are by offering a variety of pathways spanning many topics. Whether you’re seeking brief support through our Primary Path or more focused care through one of our Specialized Paths, your intake counselor will help connect you with the best fit for your needs.

Our Primary Path is open to all students and offers short-term, solution-focused counseling for concerns including anxiety, depression, adjustment-related issues, and other common life challenges. You are welcome to return in future semesters to re-engage with the Primary Path if an additional need arises. In this case, a new intake session will be required to ensure you are connected with the most appropriate support for your current needs. This path provides flexible care and is the most common way students engage with our counseling services.

What to Expect

Plan for your first visit when you have approximately two hours for an appointment – the entire process may take this long depending on the number of students being served. To access services for the first time, a student should visit Counseling & Psychological Services during our walk-in hours:

Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Wednesday and Friday: 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.

During the initial visit, students will be assessed and provided with appropriate services and/or resources based on their needs. During your initial live appointment, you will be asked several questions that will help us determine the most appropriate care for you. We use the STEPPED Model (adapted from Calvin College, J. Broene Center for Counseling and Wellness) to determine your care. Most students are referred initially to an Emotional Wellness Workshop. Recommendations will be shared with you at the close of the session.

For more information about our services, please view our Mental Health Services Policy Guidelines for Students.

Treatment recommendations may include one or more of the following:

Campus Support, such as LU Shepherd, Academic Success Center, Career Center, etc.
Emotional Wellness Workshop
Problem-Focused Session
Celebrate Recovery
Substance Abuse Counseling
Psychoeducational Seminar

Group Counseling
Individual Counseling
Couples or Family Counseling
Mental Health Crisis Services (on-call)
Extended Counseling with a Community Provider
Psychiatric Evaluation with a Community Provider

Off Campus Referrals

We would also like to make you aware of our local network of counselors in case you want to see someone off campus. You can check out the list here.

Come by our office for an intake appointment if you would like any assistance in getting a specialized referral.

If you are an online student not located in Lynchburg, you can use the ThrivingCampus network to find a counselor near you.

DISCLAIMER: This directory of community practitioners is provided for convenience and informational use only. User is responsible for evaluating and selecting their own health care providers, as well as responsible for all costs associated with care. Carefully review insurance benefits and confirm provider accepts your insurance plan before receiving care. The counselors listed on the ThrivingCampus database are not directly affiliated with Student Counseling Services.

Confidentiality

Liberty University Counseling & Psychological Services (LU CAPS) employees/interns are entrusted with maintaining the confidentiality of those students seeking services at LU CAPS. LU CAPS is responsible for the confidentiality of student counseling and educational records. In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), the counseling and educational record of each student is considered confidential. LU CAPS is responsible for declaring, implementing, and enforcing policies regarding the access to counseling and educational records.

For more information about confidentiality, please review our Confidentiality Policy.

Service Agreement

Release of Records

All records pertaining to a student’s mental health treatment and/or services at Liberty University’s Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) are considered part of the student’s clinical record and are confidential. In keeping with HIPAA guidelines, records are maintained for 7 years past the last date on which the last service was provided. CAPS is not authorized to disclose any information to anyone outside of the Counseling Center without the client's written consent, except as mandated or allowed under Virginia law.

If a situation arises where CAPS is required to make an exception to a student’s confidentiality (for exceptions, refer to our Mental Health Policies Guideline here), CAPS will discuss the circumstances and relevant protocols with the client.

To Request Client Records:

In order to obtain clinical records, the client will need to fully complete a Request for Records form:

Records Request Form

Use of the form is required to ensure we are meeting the standards of practice and law regarding your confidential information. A copy is also available from our administrative staff. Please note, signed release forms must be notarized or witnessed and submitted via regular mail to the Counseling Center with an original signature if you are unable to complete the form in person.

To Submit the Request for Records Form:

Students must submit the Request for Records Form in one of three ways:

In person at Liberty University’s Counseling & Psychological Services during normal business hours
Via fax to 434-592-3904
Via mail addressed to

Liberty University Counseling & Psychological Services
1971 University Blvd, GH 1830
Lynchburg, VA 24515

Please note that all signatures on the form must be handwritten or electronically signed.

After submitting a request, a counselor may call to verify the request and/or consult about the purpose of the release of records. Requests will be fulfilled in accordance with the law which provides for the timely and appropriate response. In order to ensure proper handling of records, responses may take up to 15 days and will not be provided on demand. Please ensure your contact information is accurate, as a delay in verification may postpone the release of records. Responses to requests for information contained in a confidential record will be delivered in person, via fax or via USPS Certified Mail due to our inability to ensure the security of email.

For more information on the Law on Patient Health Records see the Code of Virginia § 32.1-127.1:03 - Health records privacy.