Counseling and Psychological Services

If a student is in crisis, same-day crisis appointments are available during business hours at the Evanston campus location, by appointment at the Chicago campus location, and on an emergency basis through the after-hours phone line. Please call 847-491-2151 during business hours for both campuses and 847-491-8100 after-hours.

If you think a student is out of control, violent, and/or is in a life-threatening situation, immediate intervention is needed. Examples include, but are not limited to, a student threatening suicide or homicide and a student physically harming her- or himself and/or others. Call the University Police at 911 (on campus) or 847-491-3456 in Evanston and 312-503-8314 in Chicago. Report your concern, the student’s name, and where the student can be found. If necessary, the University Police will escort the student to the nearest hospital emergency room.

For more information about crisis intervention, click here.

To receive services (on both the Chicago and the Evanston campuses), please call CAPS at 847-491-2151 to schedule an initial phone consultation with a counselor. The initial consultation will last about 15 minutes and usually will be on the same day you call. The counselor will collect some information from you and help connect you with the services most appropriate for your needs. You may be scheduled for an intake at CAPS or connected with other resources on campus and/or in the community.

For more information about individual psychotherapy, click here.

CAPS has three psychiatrists on staff who see students on both the Evanston and Chicago campuses. They provide a wide range of services including assessments, evaluation, and medication consultation. Students are eligible for psychiatric services when they are in ongoing counseling at CAPS. Medication management without ongoing counseling is typically not offered by CAPS psychiatrists.

If you are in need of a local psychiatrist to provide medication management services only or in need of longer term psychiatric services, CAPS staff will assist you with a referral to a community provider.

In collaboration with Northwestern University Health Service and other university departments, CAPS has developed The Eating Concerns Assessment and Treatment Team (ECATT). ECATT provides individualized assessments for students which include psychological and medical evaluations. Following the assessments, personalized treatment recommendations are provided along with assistance to help students access appropriate services. The multidisciplinary team is also available for consultation.

For more information about the team, click here.

Group therapy is the preferred form of counseling for many issues, especially for relationship concerns. It has been shown to be as effective, and at times more effective, than individual therapy. Each quarter CAPS offers several self-exploration and therapy groups designed to facilitate healing, learning, and change.

For more information about group therapy, click here.

CAPS is pleased to offer workshops on a variety of life skills important for survival at NU. These workshops are offered free of charge to all NU students. The workshops cover a variety of topics. Workshops are typically one to three sessions and provide a mixture of lecture and experiential learning. Workshops are held on the Evanston and Chicago campuses and are open to undergraduate, graduate, professional, and continuing studies students.

For more information or to register for a particular workshop, click here.

The Stress Management Clinic is designed to serve as a resource for students who may be experiencing problems with concentration, worry, nervousness, and procrastination. Students will learn a set of simple and effective techniques to help mange various stress reactions.

For more information or to register online for the stress clinic, click here.

CAPS provides a variety of outreach services. Outreach services include presentations and programming to student groups, consultation with student groups, and other preventative services.

The staff of CAPS can provide presentations on a wide variety of topics that affect students. These include, but are not limited to: stress management, relationships, body image and eating disorder prevention, diversity issues, dealing with families, relationship building, working through transitions, developing effective communication skills, and assertiveness.

If you are interested in having someone from CAPS present to your group, please contact Dr. Paulette Stronczek at 847-491-2151 or p-stronczek@northwestern.edu

The staff of CAPS will make every attempt to meet your request. However, it is best if you give at least two weeks notice for a presentation and can assure that at least 10 participants will attend. If CAPS is unable to meet your need, we will suggest other resources to you.

CAPS staff are happy to consult with the Northwestern community about psychological concerns. Often students who are experiencing difficulty will not come to CAPS first. Rather, they often seek support from faculty, staff, administrators, friends, and/or their parents. This support may be enough to see them through a difficult time, but sometimes a student needs more. Counseling services may significantly benefit students in these situations. CAPS staff will consult with others about how to approach students in distress, how to suggest a CAPS consultation, and what resources are available. We also consult on how to manage difficult situations. For consultation, call CAPS at 847-491-2151 and ask for the Crisis Counselor.

For more information about Consultation, click here.