All of our services are free and confidential, protected by law and ethical standards. Whatever your concerns, a confidential conversation with a Center clinician is a good place to start. Below are some of the options available to you through the Well-Being Center.

Though most in-person appointments occur in MGC 244, those students who are looking to work with our available embedded clinicians may have different locations for services. Students enrolled in the Washington College of Law may meet with our WCL Clinician, Rachel Dietrich, LICSW (instructions here). Students participating in AU NCAA athletics may meet with our Sports Clinician, Taylor Lester, LPC. However, ALL in-person Initial Consultation appointments occur in MGC 244 regardless of affiliation with WCL or Athletics.

A note on teletherapy. Due to licensing laws, you must be physically located in Washington, DC (not Maryland or Virginia) at the time of your appointment. If you need a private space in the center for your virtual appointment with one of the Center clinicians, arrangements can be made when scheduling your appointment. Please note that if you have not reserved a space in the Center prior to your appointment, we cannot guarantee a space will be available for you. In addition, you must show a photo ID at the start of your appointment.

Individual & Group Therapy

The Well-Being Center can provide up to 6-8 sessions of weekly individual therapy per academic year. Many students find that their concerns can be addressed in these sessions. However, the Well-Being Center is a general practice outpatient clinic and may refer a student off-campus for the most appropriate care to best meet their needs. 

The Center offers a range of group therapy options. Group therapy is unlimited so long as there is space in the group and you remain a good fit for this treatment modality. Please click here for more information on our groups program, or continue further down the page.

The first step is to attend an Initial Consultation. You can schedule an Initial Consultation by calling 202-885-3500 or by visiting MGC 244. Please arrive at your appointed time at MGC 244 (for in-person appointments) or in the Center's virtual waiting room (for virtual appointments). The first 30 minutes of your appointment is allocated for paperwork completion. If you arrive more than 15 minutes past your appointed time, you will be asked to reschedule. Please allocate 90 minutes total for your Initial Consultation appointment.

Single Session Appointment

Single Session Appointments are for individuals who are interested in receiving professional support about a specific non-crisis concern but do not want a full course of therapy. These one-time sessions can be useful for those who are looking for community referrals, want to problem-solve a specific problem, or want to learn a few skills. Please note, same-day appointments are not available.

Please see the Single Session FAQ for more information.

Please allocate 90 minutes for your appointment. As a reminder, if you arrive more than 15 minutes past your appointed time, you will be asked to reschedule your appointment.

Crisis Support

You can always reach a qualified clinician 24/7 via ProtoCall. This service is available regardless of your location, and is available after hours (including nights, weekends, holiday breaks and during weather closings). You can reach a licensed clinician via ProtoCall at 202-885-7979. 

Mantra Health

Center for Well-Being Programs and Psychological Services is thrilled to partner with Mantra Health to support your wellness needs. With Mantra Health, you now have access to free 24/7 support, including therapy, self-care modules, emotional wellness coaching, and in-the-moment support via ConnectNow, right at your fingertips. ConnectNow offers drop-in telementalhealth support 12pm (noon) to 12am everyday. These services are available for students across all 50 states. Sign up at https://mantrahealth.com/american or download the "Mantra Health" app today.

Referrals

Off-campus referrals can be a great option. They are often recommended to students who may require intensive, extensive, or specialized services. To obtain referral information you can schedule an appointment for an Initial Consultation or schedule a Single Session Appointment.

Want to learn more about referrals? Please take a look at these helpful resources on Referrals to Private Care.

Ongoing group therapy provides a caring context in which you can talk confidentially with other students who share your concerns or experiences. A group can be a wonderful source of feedback, support, good humor, and creative ideas for how to cope with personal or interpersonal challenges. Therapy groups are confidential and are led by the Center for Well-Being clinicians.

If you are interested in participating in a psychotherapy group, please contact the Center for Well-Being to schedule an Initial Consultation appointment. During that appointment, please share your interest in group. Unless noted, students are required to attend an Initial Consultation and pre-group meeting before attending an ongoing therapy group. These meetings help to determine if the group of interest is a good fit for you at the time. If you have ideas for an additional group that would interest you, please let us know!

Groups are offered in-person and virtual. For virtual groups, students must be physically located in DC (even if they do not necessarily reside in DC) at the time of the appointment. To note, Maryland and Virginia are not DC.

Understanding Self & Others: Insight-Oriented Process Groups
Do you want to express yourself better in relationships? Do you want to build stronger and more meaningful relationships? Do you feel anxious, lonely, or isolated in the midst of so many people? Do you want to make changes but are not sure how to do so? These are common experiences for many students. This group is designed to create a safe environment for students to better understand who they are, explore relationship patterns, and try different ways of relating with other people all within a safe and confidential setting. Possible topics of discussion can include trust, intimacy, anxiety, anger, sadness, and isolation.

Group Times
Group 1 (In-person): Monday, 3:00-4:15pm
Group 2 (In-person): Wednesday, 3:00-4:15pm
Group 3 (In-person): Thursday, 2:00-3:15pm.
Graduate Student USO (Virtual): Friday, 3:00-4:15 p.m.

LGBTQ+ Group
This group is designed for students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other students navigating their sexual
and/or gender identity. The group provides a confidential, safe, and supportive space for students to explore their sexual and/or
gender identities, lived experience, coming out, dating, family, relationships, community, and other areas of interest to group
members.

Group Time
Thursday (In-person), 10:00-11:15am

International Student Group
The group will provide a space for members to openly engage in dialogues about the lived experience of an international student on this campus. This group serves to empower students and help them recognize that there are others who share similar experiences. This group ultimately serves as an outlet for international students to come together weekly to foster community, learn to navigate a new location and educational system, and enhance their success at AU.

Group Time
Tuesday (In-person), 10:00-11:15am

Black Folx Heal
The chronic onslaught of pain, marginalization, and brutalization of Black folx, compounded with the impact of a global pandemic
continues to present challenges for Black folx and communities. This group will provide a space for Black students to recognize, explore,
and process the Black lived experience, and decompress to better navigate a world that is too often a threat to Black existence.

Group Time:
Friday (Virtual), 1:00-2:15pm

How to D.E.A.L. Skills Group
This 45-mintue weekly group is designed for students who would like to learn how to cope with painful or strong feelings and learn how
to manage them more effectively. This group will cover topics such as mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, social skills building,
distress tolerance, maintaining friendships, conflict management, and emotion regulation. While there will be room to talk about one’s
personal life and concerns, the group is set up to function like a small class with group leaders teaching skills and participants sharing
what it’s like to practice them.

Group Time
Monday (Virtual), 12:00-12:45pm
Wednesday (In-person), 11:00-11:45pm

“C.A.R.E.” Connect and Reconnect Group
The Connect And Reconnect Group (C.A.R.E.) is designed to promote a confidential and supportive space for survivors of interpersonal
violence. Group members can decide together the most meaningful focus for the group and care will be taken in deciding when and
whether to discuss specific traumas more directly. Possible topics that can be discussed are exploring how experiences of interpersonal
violence can impact your sense of safety, the physiological effects of trauma, understanding feelings of guilt/shame and helping to
building connections with others.

Group Time
Tuesday (In-person), 2:00-3:15pm

Law School Stress Management Skills Group
This group is available to current Washington College of Law students who are interested in learning and practicing skills in a group led by the Washington College of Law Embedded Clinician. Group members will learn to utilize skills from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This group is a good fit for students who struggle with feeling anxious and managing the intense and unique stressors associated with law school, while also balancing the ways in which life does not stop during law school (family stressors, romantic stressors, financial stressors, and more).

Group Time
Friday (Virtual), 10:00-10:45am