Counseling

Counseling at TCC is here to provide personal, mental health, and emotional support to students. Counseling at TCC is designed to provide proactive, collaborative, confidential, and compassionate mental health care and resources to our campus community. 

We are licensed mental health professionals equipped to support your mental health needs in collaborative and student centered manner as possible.

Counselors at TCC are eager to support your mental health, personal, career/vocational, and academic well-being through individual counseling, workshops, groups, and classes.  

Counselors with TCC Counseling are professionals who hold a Master's Degree (or higher) related to mental health, pyschology, or another associated field. They are trained to help people with personal and emotional issues and concerns. Many of our providers are licensed mental health providers through the Department of Health (DOH) like counselors or therapists in private practice or other community mental health agencies.

The six-person team includes licensed mental health professionals from varied backgrounds. Click on the "Meet Our Counselors" button above to read counselor biographies and get to know a little more about them. 

Our licensed providers offer free and confidential services to current TCC students. You do not have to have a diagnosis or be in crisis to work with us.

Due to telehealth restrictions and licensing requirements, we are currently unable to provide services to TCC students who reside outside WA state. We can provide resources and referrals to those students who don't reside in WA State. 

We are also able to provide resources, referrals, and consultation to staff and faculty, however, we do not provide mental health counseling for our faculty and staff population. EAP is available for that support. 

Students commonly seek help with anxiety, depression, grief, stress, trauma, relationships, identity, neurodiversity, academic challenges, career decisions, substance use, and major life transitions.

Mission: The Counseling and Wellness Center is committed to offering proactive and holistic mental health opportunities that are accessible, collaborative, and innovative in addressing student wellness needs. These services are rooted in respect, compassion, and social justice.

Vision: The vision of the Counseling and Wellness Center is to enhance the overall wellness and mental health of our students across identities and experiences. We create space where students feel supported as their full selves to find success as they define it. 

TCC Counseling Services follows the Academic Calendar- so if classes are in session, we will likely have some resources available. We are not available late evenings, weekends, campus closures, or during breaks in the quarter.

Counseling Services is open Monday to Thursday 8am-6pm and Friday 8am-5pm during Fall, Winter, & Spring Quarter. 

In Summer Quarter, Counseling Services are available on a very limited basis: Monday-Thursday 10-3pm

The Advising Center helps students plan their academic goals, including what classes to take, when to take those classes, registration support, how to complete an education plan, and setting yourself up for transfering to other institutions.

In some of the local high schools, they may have "counselors" who do more of this type of work that is different than the "counselors" we have here at TCC.

Counseling Services is place where a student can get support with mental health, personal, or emotional struggles, concerns, or goals. At times academic goals and personal goals can be intertwined, and counselings will sometimes provide academic guidance where appropriate. You should check out the Advising Center website for more information about their services. 

Both services are located in Building 7 at TCC and appointments for either can be made at the Counseling & Advising Front Desk.

The TCC Counseling Team: 

• Provides online and in person individual counseling services
  • Personal and Mental Health Counseling
  • Career Counseling
  • Academic Counseling & Support
• Facilitates Mental Health Groups
• Facilitates Workshops and Presentations related to Mental Health, Wellness, and College Success
• Offers online informational support about mental health and well-being through Wellness Wednesday Newsletter, Canvas + Social Media
• Offers resources, support, and consultation related to holistic needs of students
• Participates in outreach efforts across campus to help folks get their mental health needs met
• Teaches Human Development (HD) Courses for credit

• Online and In Person Individual Counseling Services are available based on student preference.
• Counseling services are offered Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 6 pm in Fall, Winter & Spring Quarter.
• Counseling Services is available on an EXTREMELY LIMITED BASIS in Summer Quarter with 1 Counselor available Monday-Thursday from 10-3pm.
• Online counseling sessions will be offered using a telehealth platform called "Doxy.me." This HIPPA and FERPA compliant program (similar to "FaceTime" or "Skype") will allow us to provide you with confidential counseling. In specific cases with consent, telehealth counseling sessions will be offered via "Zoom" but with a unique link to each student. 
• All in-person counseling sessions will be conducted on campus in Building 7- The Counseling & Advising Center. You'll check in at the Front Desk and your Counselor will come get you at the start of your appointment time
• For counseling sessions, each counselor pulls from a variety of therapeutic modalities and techniques. To learn more about some of their modalities, visit the "Meet the Counselors" Bio pages.
• Workshops, groups, and other offerings will be noted below with the type of facilitation, time, and location to participate.
• HD Classes are subject to enrollment, but can be found via the Class Search function of CTC Link.

TCC Counseling focuses on supporting students' mental health. 

We help folks with help seeking, processing big feelings/experiences, change patterns, resilience and skill development. Our goal is to help folks be successful as they define it, however we are unfortunately not magicians with all the answers to all the system issues in our world. We can help hold you through it but we are not here to "fix" you nor do we have mechanisms for the greater/structural issues at hand. We can offer kind resources and support through the challenges of our daily world. 

We unfortunately are not designed for higher levels of care or for long term continued support once you are no longer an active/current student.

We are also not designed to be a walk in crisis management team. There are a variety of 24/7 Crisis and Emergency Services should that be something you are wanting/needing. 

Individual therapy (1-1 counseling) isn't the only way to address mental health concerns. 

We offer several workshops that focus on concerns common to TCC students. These can be a great way to connect with other students, learn about a topic, and build skills to better support your personal goals and well-being. 

Workshops are a nice touch point to brush up on skills, learn new concepts, and see that counseling isn't scary!

We also offer Group Therapy options which for some students can better support their counseling goals. Check out our offerings each quarter below.

Groups are a great way to find healing and support in a communal manner as it helps folks see they are not alone in their struggles, perhaps make connections, and learn new tools and skills to support their needs.

There is no fee charged for enrolled TCC students to access TCC Counseling services. Our individual counseling, groups, and workshops are completely free. 

If you elect to take a course for credit in Human Development (HD) arena which we help facilitate, those classes are charged based on current campus tuition rates. Please visit the Class Search function in CTCLink to see current and upcoming course offerings.

While we try to do as much as we can to support students' mental health needs and have training in a variety of different modalities, techniques, and diagnoses;  there are some elements that are not within our scope of practice or within our capacity at this level of care at TCC. 

We are unfortuantely unable to do:

• Prescriptions or Medication Management
• Official Diagnosis/Documentation
• Deeper Diagnostic Assessments/Screenings for things like ADHD/ADD, Autism, Learning Disabilities, etc
• Court Ordered Counseling
• Stabilization Services (ex- Detox, First Time Psychosis, Substance induced issues, etc...)
• Same Day Appointments
• Weekend Appointments
• Appointments multiple times per week 

We don't have a medical professional able to prescribe medications, but if necessary, we can refer you to a medical provider who can collaborate with us or help meet the medical management component of your care plan/needs.

If part of the challenge you might be facing related to medication management or health care support is due to insurance issues, we recommend folks start with working with a WA Health Care Navigators who may help you navigate WA Apple Health or other low cost marketplace insurance options and/or medical providers to find options that might work for them.

There is more information about this and other health care resources on the Life Resources Canvas Shell which TCC Counseling Center staff help keep up to date.

Yes we can help with career exploration and career counseling. We work closely with the assessments and other offerings on campus and can help folks process through or dig deeper into their results, thoughts, challenges, and questions regarding vocational or career decisions.

If you are wanting more support related to resumes, interviews, job searches, and exploring options and paths, we recommend you connect with TCC Career Center.

Academic planning, registration, course selection, and education plans are handled by the Advising Center.

If you'd like to request a presentation or workshop by TCC Counseling, we ask that you please fill out this TCC Counseling Presentation, Workshop, or Training Request Form.

This is a new model we are trying starting Fall 2025 to help to accommodate the requests and rising student mental health needs. We ask that folks make requests at least 30 days in advance, but the more advanced notice we can get the better able to successfully fulfill the requests. If we are unable to fulfill your request, we will work to come up with an alternative option. We appreciate your patience and requests for collaboration and will try our best. Thanks!***

Offerings change each quarter and may include resource fairs, Counseling 101, anxiety and DBT skills workshops, Mental Health for Students, and AuDHD groups. The Counseling Hub carries updates.

We are hoping to start a few groups for 2026-2027 School Year-contingent on interest.

Please stay tuned for more information and group sign up sheets.

Fall 2026: Closed Au-DHD Group for current clients

Winter 2027: DBT Skills Group

Spring 2027: AuDHD Group 2

If you'd like to request a presentation or workshop by TCC Counseling, we ask that you please fill out this TCC Counseling Presentation, Workshop, or Training Request Form.

Our priority ask has been on individual counseling services to students, however we do what we can (with enough notice for development, capacity, etc) to provide training and support as well. 

If there are questions, comments, or concerns, please email tccpersonalcounseling@tacomacc.edu 

Yes we highly recommend making an appointment to meet with our counselors. Appointments can be made by utilizing the TITANIUM ONLINE SCHEDULING SOFTWARE.

Due to the high demand, there may be a wait to see a counselor. We are doing the best we can to support the entire campus community and ask for grace and patience if there is a wait.

Students may attend one session, or several sessions. You and your counselor will dicuss appropriate timing/scheduling based on your needs and therapeutic goals.

We don't have explicit session limits, but in general, we focus on providing brief therapy. We do try to prioritze students who may not have access to care elsewhere due to barriers related to financial, family, insurance, or other concerns. For students interested in or in need of longer-term or higher levels of care, we'll help get them connected to the care they need, considering the resources they have available to them, whether here or in the community. 

Should you require more immediate services please see our links below of external resources, crisis lines, higher level of care, etc. We want to help you get connected to what you need.

Exceptions may be made if there is an emergency and pending counselor availability; but cannot be guaranteed on a walk in basis. If you are in crisis or have an urgent need to speak to someone, please refer to 911, Campus Security, or one of crisis services listed above including one of the 24/7 Hotlines like Suicide Lifeline 988 or 741 741.

Your first session is a chance for you and your counselor to get to know one another so feel free to come prepared with any questions, comments, or concerns you might have for your counselor as well. Its totally okay to ask questions and be open and honest. Therapy is hard and the relationship matters--start off on a solid foundation where you can build together.

That intake appointment will likely be a space to talk through current life and symptoms, brief history related to mental health, family, medical, etc., and getting to understand what you are hoping to gain or work on through a therapeutic lens and relationship. You are by no means needing to share your ENTIRE life story or deepest wounds in that first 50 minutes of meeting with a counselor, but it is a space to start to establish relationship and rapport and to begin crafting a care/treatment plan to help meet your needs. 

To help prepare for sessions you might: 

•  Make a note or list of symptoms, issues, triggers, situations, life events, challenges, concerns, etc that are impacting your day to day
• Create a mood, trigger, or emotion log to help get a better sense
• Look at patterns within relationships, goals, behaviors, etc., that you are wanting to see different
• Think about your goals and get specific-- what prompted you to make this appointment? What are you wanting or needing support with? How would you like life to look or feel different? 

We are working to switch to an electronic health record system called Titanium in Summer/Fall 2026 to better streamline our communication structures. 

Titanium is a place where students can schedule appointments, we can keep track of our notes, have better control/clarity with treatment/care planning, and can help us with various data requirements for campus and ethical requirements related to counseling services. 

We are hoping with Titanium it will be a "one stop shop" type deal as opposed to having a Bookings page to schedule, various Microsoft Forms for documents, emails back/forth, and potentially paper copy back ups. 

We know changes to processes can be bumpy and hard at first, but we are hoping this will work for us in the long run. We are soft launching the program in Summer 2026 and will fully launch in Fall 2026.

Please kindly email us at tccpersonalcounseling@tacomacc.edu if you are having any issues or noticing any snafoos so we can work those out and get you connected appropriately.

Students making an initial appointment or looking to set up care will be asked to fill out an Intake Form + Disclosure/Consent Form prior to scheduling their appointment. They will then be able to select an appointment time that works for there initial appointment. Spending time answering the questions on this paperworks helps us get contextual information and contact information to start to come up with strategies to best meet your needs.

• This paperwork will also include information regarding informed consent, limits to confidentiality and important policies and procedures. 

Prior to your first appointment, the Counselor you are are scheduled with will review your paperwork and start to create a treatment or care plan. 

On your scheduled appointment date, we recommend you go the waiting room 5-10 minutes prior to check in. If you have not completed your paperwork and forms, this would be a good time to do so.

• For in person appointments, check in at the Counseling & Advising Front Desk in Building 7. Your Counselor will come out and call your name at the start of your appointment and bring you back to their office.
• For telehealth/online appointments, your counselor will send you a link to a virtual "waiting room." Your Counselor will let you "in" at the start of your appointment. 

In your first appointment, you and your counselor will talk about challenges and goals you have for therapy. Your counselor may take a history and gather context about your life and ways your mental health has impacted you. Together you'll work with your counselor to come up with a treatment plan that will guide your counseling work together. 

Counseling here is voluntary and not a contract. If you don't feel like you've got the right fit, please let us know.

If something doesn't feel like the right fit or isn't jiving, it would be great if you felt safe and comfortable enough to talk to the counselor about it so they can adapt and change their style AND/OR help get you connected to what might feel like a better fit for you. 

We can look at alternative counselors here on campus if you'd like to try a different provider, since counseling is a lot about the relationship or we can help connect you to external resources. 

Sometimes lack of fit is due to scope issues, so we may consider looking at alternative care options if we cannot feasibly meet your goals based on our scope of practice and capacity in house.

If you have concerns about the counselors behavior, impact, etc., please talk to the Department Chair or the Dean or fill out our anonymous feedback forms.

Typically, the length of a session is fifty (50) minutes but will be scheduled for an hour to help with transition time. In very rare cases, sessions may be made for longer based on your treatment plan but that will be worked out on a case by case basis with your counselor.

Students may choose to attend for one session or multiple sessions, however we can not accomodate demands for multiple sessions per week. We are also not designed to be your forever therapist as we serve students while they are students. We will work with each individual student to try to find the right care plan, frequency, therapeutic modality, and referrals to help best meet your goals and needs.

Counselors will wait 15 minutes after your assigned/scheduled time for you before instituting our No Show/Cancellation Policy. 

We know life and traffic happens. If you are going to be late, please email your counselor and/or call the Counseling & Advising Front Desk.

You can cancel an appointment by calling the Counseling & Advising Front Desk at 253-566-5122, emailing tccpersonalcounseling@tacomacc.edu,  or emailing the counselor you are scheduled with directly. (You can find our emails linked above with our names above near our group picture.)

The earlier you can give us notice about the need to cancel or change your appointment the better please. Failure to communicate a need to cancel may result in a conversation about our No Show policy. You can see more about our attendance policies in the Counseling Policies- 2025-2026 PDF.

If the college is closed due to bad weather or an emergency, the Counseling Center will also be closed. If you have a scheduled appointment during a campus closure, your appointment may be cancelled. Check your Titan Alerts to stay up to date with campus closures and emergencies.

If campus is closed due to a break in the academic calendar or between quarters, counseling services is unavailable and we encourage you to refer to one of the emergency/crisis services or off campus providers (options listed above.)

If a particular counselor needs to be out for personal or medical reasons, they will likely email you directly and/or have a member of our Front Desk Team give you a call to cancel and reschedule your appointment. 

We apologize for any inconvenience we have. We try to get students in to counseling as quickly as we can and we are a team of 6.

If you are using the Titanium Online Scheduler and nothing is coming up, please email tccpersonalcounseling@tacomacc.edu or go to the Counseling/Advising Front Desk in Building 7 and share your availability and what you are looking for prior to giving up.

There is often availability somewhere (if classes are in session), Titanium only shows 21 days at a time. So reaching out can get a spot outside of that range if needed and/or can put you on the radar in case there are cancellations to get you in sooner.

If you are in immediate crisis, especially after hours or during breaks, we recommend calling 9-11 or getting to safety. If you can get yourself to a hospital ER, they can also triage you for support and care. We have other crisis, care, and warm lines which are often 24 hours listed in the "I am in crisis or require more immediate service" section of the below accordion which can be useful. These are also listed in all of our email signature lines. 

 For folks who need more immediate counseling resources, especially day off offerings which we don't often have, we recommend:

• Greater Lakes has Walk In Appointments available (253-581-7020)
• Multicare Behavioral Health Access Center (253-697-8400)
• Any of the crisis 24/7 emergency lines listed in the "I am in crisis or require more immediate service" section in the below accordion. 
• For folks looking for off campus providers, we also have listing availables in the below accordion in the "I am looking for off campus counseling" section of the accordion which are great places to start. 

If part of the issue in getting an appointment is you need more than our counselors have available (ex- wanting more like 2-3+ times a week) or a higher level of care (ex- medication management, detox, partial inpatient, etc), we have some listings available in the below accordion in the "I am looking for a higher level of care" for some of those resources locally. We are also happy to provide consultation and referrals should that be what you are looking for. We want folks to have the resources to be successful. 

If it is beneficial for us to communicate with others and/or if you'd like us to be in connection with other folks or providers in your life, we will ask you to sign a written release of information before we contact other providers. Without your explicit consent, we are not able to share information regarding our work together to uphold ethical guidelines, unless there are concerns of health and safety. 

In cases where concerns of health or safety have arised, we will follow our ethical standards which requires us to report harm to self or other people. 

We are also bound to HIPAA & FERPA guidelines, in addition to our ethical confidentiality and ethics. We take confidentiality very seriously. 

• TCC Counseling does have telehealth services available if students don't want to meet with us in person/travel. 
• SeaMar Gig Harbor Behavioral Health Clinic offers services including assessments, case management, individual and group therapy + physical health care and accepts most insurances including Medicaid/Medicare.
• LifeStance Health Therapists + Psychiatrists  in Gig Harbor - has providers who take a variety of insurances and offers both telehealth and in person options
• Olalla Recovery Center - can support substance abuse needs
• Gig Harbor students are more than welcome to use any of the hotlines, crisis services, and/or Tacoma resources that are listed above as well should that be more accessible for them.

• Faculty & Staff: Students In Distress Chart (PDF)
• You can visit the Matters of Concern webpage to report concerns about students to our CARE/BIT Team. They can help connect the student with the appropriate supports and/or channels for their concern. TCC Counseling is part of the team, but not the entire team. If you have specific questions about CARE/BIT, please connect with Surtida Shelton (sshelton@tacomacc.edu) or Jason Parker (jparker@tacomacc.edu). 
• In case of an emergency or crisis that involves harm to oneself or other people or other health and safety concerns, please connect with Campus Public Safety or 9-11
• If you'd like to consult on the best ways to support a student you are concerned about or refer them to Counseling for outreach, please email tccpersonalcounseling@tacomacc.edu 

We are unable to provide counseling services to TCC students who live outside the state of Washington due to telehealth restrictions and licensing requirements. 

If you are in need of out of state referrals or resources outside of TCC, please email tccpersonalcounseling@tacomacc.edu.

You can also consult with your insurance provider’s directory, or visit the following websites to find a counselor in your area. 

• Psychology Today
• Open Path Collective   
• Good Therapy 
• Healthline

Staff and Faculty absolutely deserve compassionate and supportive mental health care. Your needs matter and are important. Unfortunately, our scope does not allow us to provide services to our colleagues. 

Staff & Faculty, If you would like to speak to someone, TCC offers free and confidential Emergency Assistance Program (EAP) support at 877-313-4455. The Washington EAP has additionally created some webinars, resources, and handouts for staff and faculty via Mental Health Resources for EAP Website. 

If you'd like to find off campus counseling offerings, you can consult with your insurance providers directory or visit the following websites to find a counselor in the area.

• Psychology Today
• Open Path Collective
• Good Therapy
• Pierce County Behavioral Health Locator Website