Counseling and Psychological Services

The front desk was extremely rude.

It'll do in a pinch. Sometimes my therapist was super helpful, sometimes not so much. Occasionally I was called 'chica' which in retrospect I realize was a micro-aggression that wasn't making my experience any better. They don't encourage seeing someone consistently. It isn't a long term solution. They have a cap of seeing someone for 2 semesters. (I think you get 12 sessions a year.) So if you're looking for support or have ever been to therapy before and found talk therapy 'therapeutic', you might have better luck going through your insurance or joining a support group at Penn.

My therapist listened and they were there for me by phone if I were to ever have an emergency. They taught me breathing exercises and cbt tricks. But throughout the semester our rapport waned. And it became really obvious to me that the person I was seeing wasn't really invested in me, like they couldn't remember who I was, or what I was working toward or wanted help with. They superimposed concerns on to me that weren't my concerns. Sometimes, the concerns of other students, sometimes their own. Like their imagination ran wild with messed up situations that hadn't even crossed my mind, which just felt insensitive and unhelpful. I often felt rushed and not heard. So yeah, I think it's a roll of the dice.

I posted a 1 star review in the past but from some reflection I’ve realized (from my impression) that the staff is great and the real issue is a lack of funding/support from the university. I hope penn expands in their efforts to make CAPS a priority and adequately supports their faculty in the future.
I met with Laura Collins today for a drop in appt and felt really seen and respected. Our conversion did not feel rushed and I noticed a genuine desire to support students from our meeting. I feel well equipped to move forward and pursue future mental health resources. Despite potential staffing concerns/overbooking that likely occurs I felt listened to and cared for by this person and that is worth shouting out. It is especially worth highlighting in a field where going above and beyond is truly not easy or common, at least in my experience. I’ve contacted a number of psychiatrists and therapists in the past and have felt less understood. The dedication these people have to their work is impressive, at least from who I’ve connected with so far. Only reason I take off a star is because it seems Penn sucks with funding and additional support, and I do wish it was easier to support myself but also understand that is not something individual faculty can guarantee due to it being a common issue.

The worst service without any care for students.

The person i saw today was very helpful

A complete joke. Would rather waste students' time and force them to miss class so that they can come in for psych evaluations that they aren't even capable of administering. About as well organized as the rest of UPenn aka NOT AT ALL. Study somewhere else if you want your mental wellbeing cared for.

Made me feel terrible about myself. Zero support or sense of security/comfort in our conversation. Seems like they just care about covering their bases legally and nevermind the students' actual wellbeing