Schedule An Appointment
CAPS Summer Hours
10am - 3pm, Monday - Friday
Closed daily, 12pm -1pm
Students are seen by appointment only for Single Sessions.
Single Sessions can be scheduled either via online by clicking the link (below) or by calling CAPS at 925-631-4364. CAPS will resume Initial Consultations at the beginning of the fall semester.
CAPS Scheduled Closures
June 19th, 2026 in observation of Juneteenth.
June 23nd - June 26th, 2026, Office closure
If you would like to speak meet with a therapist while CAPS is closed a perfect alternative is TimelyCare. TimelyCare allows you to meet with a licensed, vetted therapist any time of the year and has scheduling options for students with tight or busy schedules (i.e. students who only have availability during specific hours of the day, nights and/or weekends). TimelyCare also offers TalkNow, which connects you to a therapist instantly. To meet with a therapist through TimelyCare.
Types of Appointments
We have three types of initial appointments:
- Single Session: During this one time, 45 minute individual session, you'll meet with a therapist (in-person) to come up with strategies for addressing a specific concern. This type of session is for students who want a "one and done" session to address a very specific issue.
Schedule a SINGLE SESSION online. - Initial Consultation: During this 45 minute individual session, you'll meet with a therapist (in-person) to come up with a treatment plan. This might involve brief, ongoing therapy, group therapy, or a referral to the community.
- Urgent Appointment: If this is an urgent matter (see red column, below) and you would like to speak to a therapist today, PLEASE COME INTO THE OFFICE TO SCHEDULE. DO NOT SCHEDULE URGENT SESSIONS ONLINE.
Don’t Know/Not Sure: If you are unsure of what type of appointment you need, please call CAPS at 925-631-4364.
If you are interested in couples, friend, or roommate therapy, each person should schedule their own Initial Consultation and call the office to let us know that you are interested in couples, friend, or roommate therapy.
If none of the online appointments match your availability, please call CAPS at (925) 631-4364 or consider using TimelyCare.
After Your First Appointment
You might choose to just have one appointment (e.g., a single session), you might be referred to a provider in the community who can better meet your needs, or you and your therapist might decide to schedule ongoing therapy sessions. Therapy at CAPS is short-term and solution focused. These are the types of ongoing sessions:
Individual Therapy
These 45 minute sessions are weekly or biweekly with the same therapist. Individual therapy is a good option if you'd like to explore something a bit deeper.
Couples, Roommate or Friend Therapy
These sessions are for two students to talk about their relationship. Both members need to be currently enrolled SMC students.
Group Therapy
Therapy groups consist of at least four students, and there are typically two therapists. Examples of past therapy groups at CAPS has been for Stress Management, Grief, or Anxiety. We are open to starting a new group if there is enough interest.
Late cancellation and missed appointment policy:
CAPS has a limited number of counseling appointments available; therefore, we encourage you to keep your scheduled appointments. If you cannot keep an appointment, please cancel by email or calling our office at (925) 631-4364 at least 24 hours before the appointment. If your cancellation is not within the 24 hour notice window, the appointment will count as one of your sessions.
Two late cancellations and/or missed appointments will result in a loss of eligibility for CAPS services for that semester and a referral to mental health providers in the community.