FAQs

Where is the PCC?

The PCC is located on the ground floor of the Chafee Social Sciences Building (Suite 100).

Parking:
PCC Clinicians will provide information on how to register for a digital parking pass prior to the first appointment. 

Please use an updated Campus Map to help you navigate your way. Change to satellite view for parking lot options.

If you have any trouble finding us, call 401-874-4263 and we will help you find your way.

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How is the PCC different from the URI Counseling Center?

The Psychological Consultation Center and the URI Counseling Center both offer important mental health services to students at URI. There are, however, some key differences that individuals should know about before making a decision about where to pursue treatment:

  1. All clinicians at the PCC are graduate students working toward their PhDs in Clinical Psychology. These graduate clinicians are supervised by licensed psychologists, but are not (themselves) licensed practitioners.
  2. As a training clinic, we are responsible for not only the quality and effectiveness of clinical services provided to clients, but also to the training of our graduate student clinicians. As such, all sessions in the PCC are audio and video recorded to provide appropriate supervision to clinicians and to ensure best practice in the delivery of evidence-based treatment.
  3. The URI Counseling Center provides services that are free to all URI students (fees are woven into tuition expenses). The PCC offers treatment to all URI students and community members for $20 per individual adult session (the costs of Assessment Services and the Child Anxiety Program are different).
  4. The URI Counseling Center provides clinical services to any student at URI (no matter the campus on which they take classes). The PCC offers clinical services to any/all URI students, faculty and staff, as well as members of their families and of the local community who are unaffiliated with URI.

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How do I make an appointment?

Check out Getting Help for more information.

What is a Phone Screen?

When you call to schedule an Intake Appointment, you will speak with our Graduate Intake Coordinator.

The Graduate Intake Coordinator will walk you through a brief Phone Screen in order to provide you with information about services available at the PCC, as well as to gather information about the reasons you are seeking services. The reasons that we do a phone screen is to ensure that the PCC is the most appropriate service provider for what you may be looking for. Often times there are community (or campus-based) resources that individuals are unaware of, and these resources may be able to provide a more targeted treatment option than the PCC can offer.

A Phone Screen usually takes 15-20 minutes and outlines the nature of graduate training in the PCC, allows for opportunities to ask questions about services and fees, and involves a brief discussion of the issues prompting your call to our clinic.

Shortly after you’ve completed your phone screen, and assuming that the PCC is able to meet your treatment needs, you should receive a call from one of our graduate clinicians to schedule your Intake appointment.

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How much will it cost?

Cost of PCC Services

  • Intake Evaluations are a flat fee of $30.00 for all clients.
  • Individual adult treatment is $20.00 per session. 
  • The Child Anxiety Program treatment is $55.00 per session.

Individual session fees cover all services provided by the following treatment teams within the PCC:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Child Anxiety Program
  • Multicultural Therapy
  • Intake Assessments

Assessment Fees

Assessments are a specialized service in the PCC and have a flat fee of $595. Clients will pay $30.00 at the Intake appointment, $365 at the first testing session, and the remaining balance of $200 at the final feedback appointment.

Although we are unable to accept or bill insurance at this time, we are happy to provide a receipt for services to be submitted by you to your insurance company.

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When is the PCC open?

The PCC is open year-round.

First appointments of the day are scheduled at 8:30am, last appointments of the day are scheduled at 6:00pm.

The PCC is closed on all Federal holidays observed by URI, including:

  • Labor Day (September)
  • Columbus Day (October)
  • Election Day (November – as relevant)
  • Veterans Day (November)
  • Thanksgiving Day (November)
  • The day after Thanksgiving the clinic will remain closed
  • Christmas Day (Clinic Closed for 2 week Winter Vacation)
  • New Years Day (Clinic Closed for 2 week Winter Vacation)
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January)
  • Memorial Day (May)
  • Juneteenth (June)
  • Independence Day (July)
  • Victory Day (August)

Additionally, the PCC is closed during the following times:

  • 2 weeks over the Winter Holidays
  • 2 weeks in mid-August

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What if I just want information about the PCC but am not ready to talk to a clinician?

If you are interested in getting more information about the PCC for yourself or someone you care about, we encourage you to contact our Main number (401-874-4263). Our Office Administrator – Cherie Taylor –can answer many of your questions about the PCC and can direct your call to an appropriate resource if she does not have an answer.

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How long is an intake appointment?

Intakes are scheduled for 1.5 hours in an effort to ensure adequate time to discuss the issues bringing you into treatment, as well as to allow for the completion of some one-time administrative paperwork.

In order to maximize efficiency and minimize the amount of time that clients spend filling out paperwork in our waiting room, all clients have the option of having paperwork emailed to them so that they can complete it ahead of their Intake appointment. Given the extensive nature of questions asked in this documentation, clients often find it helpful to complete it in a less formal environment and when they have other resources (ie. Medication names/doses, family member input) to help them.

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Who will by clinician be?

All clinicians at the Psychological Consultation Center are graduate students in the Clinical and School Psychology Doctorate programs. Clinicians vary in their stage of training, but all are supervised by licensed Psychologists in the state of Rhode Island.

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Can I choose my clinician?

While we ask about client preferences for the clinician that they will be working with, there are limits to our ability to meet these requests.

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Will I be observed?

One of the most important aspects of our work as a training clinic is the capacity to do both live and recorded supervision/observation of sessions. The intent of these observations is to improve the treatment and services being offered by our graduate clinician – not to evaluate or critique our clients. All of our therapy rooms have one-way mirrors and video/audio recording capabilities. Each therapy session will be audio/video recorded for supervision purposes, but no one outside of our clinical supervision and treatment teams has access to these recordings (e.g. no purely Administrative staff or undergraduate interns). Additionally, all recordings are deleted after 3 weeks, unless explicit, written permission is granted by the client. Additionally, clients are always welcome to see our observation rooms and meet any clinicians and/or supervisors who may be observing the session.

Unfortunately, we cannot honor requests for sessions to not be recorded and cannot guarantee that sessions will not be observed. If clients have questions or concerns about this aspect of their treatment and of our process as a training clinic, they are welcome to contact the PCC Director, Dr. Lindsey Anderson.

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What are some common signs of depression?

Feeling depressed is not the same has having Depression.

During times of stress and heightened emotion, even individuals with healthy coping strategies and strong emotional “immune systems” can feel depressed and overwhelmed. Not all people with depression have the same symptoms, and one individual’s experience of depression can be vastly different than another’s.

It can always be helpful to talk with someone when you are feeling stuck – even when you feel reasonably confident that symptoms will pass and you will regain your footing. It is especially helpful to talk with someone when your symptoms are having a negative impact on your daily functioning – your ability to engage in meaningful and pleasurable activities and relationships, your work or academic performance, your ability to do even basic daily tasks like shower, eat, or get out of bed.

Symptoms of depression may include:

  • Feeling sad, anxious, or “empty”
  • Feelings of hopelessness
  • Loss of interest in hobbies and activities that you once enjoyed
  • Decreased energy
  • Difficulty staying focused, remembering, making decisions
  • Sleeplessness, early morning awakening, or oversleeping and not wanting to get up
  • Thoughts of hurting yourself
  • Easily annoyed, bothered, or angered
  • Constant physical symptoms that do not get better with treatment, such as headaches, upset stomach, and pain that doesn’t go away

There is no reason not to reach out for support if you are experiencing symptoms of depression. Treatment for depression can be a one-time consultation and evaluation, or can lead to longer-term, focused treatment to help manage symptoms.

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What are some common symptoms of anxiety?

Feeling anxious can be a very normal and appropriate feeling. It is not unusual or problematic to feel anxious before a test, or performance, or when meeting new people. Clinical anxiety, however, is more than just passing nerves or elevated feelings during stressful experiences. Clinical anxiety interferes in people’s ability to carry out daily tasks, participate in activities that they enjoy, and feel confident in their ability to manage new or challenging situations.
Symptoms vary depending on the type of anxiety disorder, but general symptoms can include:

  • Feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness
  • Uncontrollable, obsessive thoughts
  • Repeated thoughts or flashbacks of traumatic experiences
  • Ritualistic behaviors, such as repeated hand washing
  • Problems sleeping
  • Cold or sweaty hands
  • Shortness of breath
  • Palpitations
  • Nausea/Dry mouth
  • Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
  • Muscle tension

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What services does the PCC NOT offer?

Although we’d love to have the expertise to meet the needs of all clients seeking services, this isn’t possible. As a training clinic, we have to be mindful of what level and type of treatment that will best address an individual’s concerns. In circumstances that we cannot offer the intensity, duration, or type of service that might be most appropriate, we are happy to provide community and/or campus resources to help clients continue to navigate the network of local service providers.

  • The PCC does not provide psychological evaluation for the purpose of purchasing guns or other firearms (not to law enforcement agencies nor to the broader RI community).
  • The PCC cannot offer services to individuals in acute crisis or in need of higher-level care as a step-down from hospitalization.
  • The PCC does not offer services on the weekend or late into the evening
  • The PCC does not routinely offer court-mandated services
  • The PCC does not offer mediation services related to divorce or child-custody arrangements.

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Are sessions offered virtually?

Yes. The PCC offers both in-person and virtual treatment options.

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