Mental Health Counseling Services

Your success matters — and so does your well-being. At Austin Community College, we understand that college can be exciting, but it can also be challenging to juggle classes, work, relationships, and more. Our Mental Health Counseling team is here for you. We provide confidential services, wellness programs, and resources across the district to help you build resilience, manage stress, and stay safe, healthy, and balanced—so you can thrive in and out of the classroom.

We will begin scheduling Fall 2025 counseling sessions with enrolled students on Friday, August 1, 2025.

SCOPE OF SERVICE

The Austin Community College Mental Health Counseling team provides counseling services to support ACC students’ personal, emotional, and mental health needs. These services are available by appointment at no cost to students who meet the following criteria: currently enrolled in a semester (Credit, Adult Education, Continuing Education), physically located in Texas, and not presently receiving counseling from an outside counselor. 

These services can include:

• Initial assessment of needs 
• Short-term, solution-focused, or goal-oriented counseling
• Up to 12 sessions within 12 months
• Individual counseling
• Psychoeducational, open and ongoing workshops
• Counseling Groups
• De-escalation/Coping skills
• Referrals to on or off-campus resources
• Services are available In-person or via video telemental health  

Note: Effective August 1, 2025, MHCS will no longer offer counseling sessions to students under 18. Community resource referrals will still be available.

SCOPE OF PRACTICE

Austin Community College Mental Health Counselors are dedicated to providing ethical, confidential, and student-centered care. Our Licensed Professional Counselors and Licensed Clinical Social Work Counselors adhere to the highest standards of their respective licensing boards and are committed to supporting the mental well-being of our diverse student body.

Following an initial intake assessment, counseling sessions are offered based on individual student needs. To ensure ethical mental health support, we also provide community referral assistance for students needing long-term counseling. This includes help in identifying providers who offer cost-effective options or who accept the student’s insurance.

Concerns commonly treated include, but are not limited to the following:

• Mild to moderate anxiety, depression, and stress management
• Grief and loss 
• Managing symptoms of trauma 
• Self-esteem concerns
• Identity development issues  
• Adjustment issues such as transitioning to college life or new life circumstances
• Academic-related issues such as difficulty with attention, motivation, perfectionism, test anxiety, or self-management
• Interpersonal relationship issues such as break-ups, interpersonal conflict, communication, assertiveness, and family issues

Services Outside Our Scope of Practice:

While we are here to support as many students as possible, some services fall outside of what we can ethically and sustainably provide. We provide referral assistance for the following types of care

• Eating disorders
• Substance use disorders requiring clinical treatment
• Complex trauma
• Chronic or severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD
• Personality Disorders
• Severe mood or psychotic disorders; psychosis, hallucinations, mania, or delusions 
• Psychological or neuropsychological testing (e.g., ADHD or learning disability assessments)
• DSM Diagnosis (mental disorder)
• Ongoing care after hospitalization for mental health issues
• Medication management or psychiatric services
• Court-mandated or Child Protective Services counseling documentation
• Requests for letters of support concerning any mental health counseling services, including, but not limited to, the following: scholarship letters, emotional support animals, and accommodations.

Note: The counselor holds professional discretion to terminate and/or end the session(s).

Effective August 18, 2025, all Mental Health Counseling Services currently provided at the Cypress Creek and San Gabriel campuses will be relocated to the C.A.R.E. Network Center at the Round Rock Campus, located in Building 2000, Suite 2110.00. Services at the Northridge Campus will continue as usual.

Students who prefer to receive counseling services at a location other than the Round Rock Campus are encouraged to utilize our virtual counseling options, which remain available to ensure flexibility and accessibility.

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