Services

Lafene CAPS offers workshops, group therapy, couple's therapy, and short-term goal-oriented individual therapy to eligible K-State students. Students can participate in workshops without being a client of the center. They can also engage in unlimited group therapy sessions throughout the semester. Most students find that their needs are met through our workshops or group therapy. Most students who attend individual therapy have their needs met in an average of four sessions. We will make referrals to therapists in the community if students have needs that cannot be met within our office. For example, students who have long-standing concerns, are in need of intensive and comprehensive services (including frequent crisis services), could benefit from specialized therapy, or who might find it difficult to separate from therapy in eight or less sessions are generally not served adequately by our brief model.

Confidentiality

Counseling is a confidential service in accordance with legal limitations (see below).
Confidentiality means that your contact with this office does not go on your academic record and that clinical materials will not be disclosed to any other office or individual unless you have signed a written release for this to occur.
Our staff members are exempt from Title IX and they do not report crimes that include sexual violence (including rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment) to university officials.
All clinic materials are handled confidentially. CAPS gathers data about our clients, without using personal information, in agency reports and evaluations of our services.
Financial and clinical notes are maintained for seven years past the date of your last contact and then are destroyed/deleted.

Some legal limits to confidentiality

Potential imminent harm to yourself or others (suicide or homicide)
Possible child or elder abuse
A court order
When parental consent is required to provide services to a student who is under the age of 18
Substance use and other activities that may be illegal are not reported unless they fall under one of the limitations listed above

Confidentiality for students who are under 18 years of age

CAPS will see any student who is in crisis. Contact will need to be made with parents of students under the age of 18 who are seen for a crisis session and who have concerns about harming themselves or others. Parental or legal guardian consent is required to provide on-going therapy to students who are under the age of 18. Parents or legal guardians legally have access to records for those students who are under the age of 18. Any questions you have about access to records and obtaining parental/guardian consent for treatment will be discussed at your first appointment.

Getting the most out of therapy

Taking the first step towards addressing your mental health concerns can be intimidating. People often wonder about various aspects of therapy such as, "What should I talk about?," "How honest should I be?," "How will this help?," and "How will I know if I am getting better?" These questions often lead to an even bigger question in therapy which is, "How do I get the most out of therapy?" Below are five tips on getting the most out therapy.

Be consistent in attending your appointments. Attending therapy consistently is crucial to maintaining new skills, especially when sessions are limited. Regression tends to happen when engagement in services is sporadic and time will have to be spent reincorporating skills into your life.
Identify what you want to improve in your life. Developing goals or areas in your life you want to improve is sort of like creating a map that helps guide and tells you when you have reached your destination.
Take the work outside of the session. Therapy does not occur in a vacuum! Therapy is more impactful when you take the information and insights gained during session and apply them in your everyday life.
Be honest. Oftentimes a goal of therapy is to recognize patterns that keep you stuck and change the way we relate to ourselves. These goals, along with others, would be difficult to achieve if we cannot be honest in therapy and honest with ourselves.
Have realistic expectations. Therapy is a process that progresses at a variable pace. Recognize that hiccups or “setbacks” are natural and are a part of change. When we can view these instances as a natural part of therapy that frees us to move through it and to continue to work on our goals.

Initiating services at CAPS

Initial consultation meetings at CAPS are 20-30 minutes in length. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss your needs and the services that might be a good option for you.

Students can schedule a same-day or next-day appointment in three ways:

Between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., walk in for first-come, first-served drop-in initial consultation meetings. The earlier you come in the day, the more likely you will be seen the same day.
Via the myLAFENE+ portal, schedule a same-day or next-day appointment.
By calling our office between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., schedule a same-day or next-day appointment.

Fees

All visits at CAPS are available at no additional charge. There may be a $5.00 fee associated with individual or group sessions in the summer if the student is not enrolled in summer classes and/or has not paid the student services fee. Students will still be eligible for services in the summer if they were enrolled in the spring semester and will be enrolled in the fall semester of the same calendar year.

Failure to give 24-hour notice to cancel or reschedule an appointment or not coming to an appointment will result in a $25 charge. Fees are also charged for any psychological assessments and your therapist will discuss this with you prior to scheduling you for an assessment.

Eligibility