NYU Counseling

Welcome to Counseling and Wellness Services (CWS) at NYU. CWS offers students short-term individual counseling, group counseling, self-improvement classes, referrals, and psychiatric medication services. All services except psychiatric medication services are free of charge.

Short-term Counseling

Counseling - or psychotherapy - is a professional relationship that focuses on personal problems. The counseling relationship differs from both social friendships and patient-doctor contacts. Unlike friends, counselors are able to be objective; they are not involved in your daily lives. Unlike most doctors, counselors don't give specific advice or tell you what to do. Instead, they serve as skilled listeners who help you to clarify issues, discover your true wishes and feelings, and deal effectively with problems.

CWS counselors are psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurse practitioners, and advanced trainees in those professions. There are male and female counselors, counselors from different racial and national backgrounds, and counselors who specialize in substance abuse, gay/lesbian/bisexual concerns, eating disorders, international students, and other concerns. We also have counselors who specialize in the issues of students from different schools: CAS, Gallatin, Law, Social Work, Steinhardt, Tisch, and students living in residence halls.

Length of counseling varies. Some problems lend themselves to a one or two session consultation. Others require a series of appointments, the length to be decided by you and your counselor. If you need longer than short-term counseling, your counselor will discuss with you affordable referral resources in the community.

Many problems lend themselves to or a Toolkit, rather than individual counseling.