Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Web site: http://caps.studentaffairs.duke.edu/
Address: Suite 214, Page Building, West Campus (next to the Chapel)
Phone: 660-1000

**IF A STUDENT’S CONCERN REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION, THIS SITUATION SHOULD BE MADE KNOWN TO THE SECRETARY, AND EVERY EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO ARRANGE FOR A COUNSELOR TO TALK WITH THE STUDENT IMMEDIATELY.

CAPS Services

Counseling and Psychological Services provides a coordinated and comprehensive range of counseling and psychological services to meet the unique needs of individual students.  Staff members recognize that graduate and professional students face different challenges than do undergraduates and offer services that address the special circumstances of graduate/professional student life. Services include evaluation and brief counseling/ psychotherapy regarding personal concerns of a wide variety. These include personal stress and mood difficulties (depression, anxiety) and family, social, academic, and sexual matters. The professional staff is composed of psychologists, clinical social workers, and psychiatrists who are experienced in working with adults in the academic arena. Individual, couple, and group counseling and psychotherapy are utilized in helping students resolve their concerns once the student and staff member have identified together the most helpful alternative. Some CAPS staff members offer counseling for career indecision through the Career Center.

A number of groups are offered each semester to both graduate/professional and undergraduate students, including groups addressing meditation, anxiety management, eating and body image concerns, and relationships.  Some groups are open to graduate/professional students exclusively, including dissertation coaching and interpersonal process groups. Support groups have been conducted for students in special circumstances. New groups can be developed to meet student needs.

CAPS is available to the university community for consultation and education regarding students’ personal and emotional development. CAPS maintains liaisons with a number of campus offices, including the Career Development Center; Residential Life; Student Health; Religious Life; the Multicultural Center; the Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Life; International House; and the Women’s Center. Consultation and programming is provided to student groups such as resident advisors, graduate teaching assistants, and peer health educators.

CAPS maintains a policy of strict confidentiality concerning information about each student’s contact with staff members. Such information can be released only with the student’s written authorization. If appropriate, a referral may be made to other staff members or to a variety of local resources including mental health professionals in private practice and clinic settings. Referrals may be made when the treatment of choice for a student’s difficulties extends beyond the brief psychotherapy available at CAPS.  Services are available to all enrolled undergraduate, graduate, professional, and allied health students who pay the student health fee. There are no additional costs for these services.

Helpful Articles

The following articles appeared in past issues of The GRIND (Graduate Resources and INformation at Duke).

Last updated: 08/04/2005