• 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.

Legal limits to confidentiality:

• Risk of imminent harm to yourself or others (suicide or homicide)
• Child or elder abuse
• Court order
• When parental notification 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

For students under the age of 18, parental or legal guardian notification is required in order for CAPS to provide crisis counseling and/or ongoing therapy. The parent(s)/guardian(s) will be notified via a letter informing them that their minor child has given consent and entered mental health outpatient treatment. Any questions you have about access to records and obtaining parental/guardian notification and access to records will be discussed at your first appointment.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Initial consultations at CAPS are done to discuss your needs and our services that might be a good option for you.

Students can schedule initial consultations in three ways:

1. Via the myLAFENE+ portal to schedule sessions within 48 hours of appointment time.
2. By calling our office at 785-532-6927 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to schedule the next available appointment that fits your schedule.
3. By walking in and scheduling with front desk staff.

Workshops, individual therapy, and group sessions are available at no charge. Fees will be charged for any psychological assessments, such as ADHD evaluations, and your therapist will discuss this with you prior to scheduling.

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 be eligible for services at no charge 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 any visit will result in a $25 charge.

We are primarily funded through the student services fees that most students on the Manhattan campus pay. Thus, our services are available for currently enrolled students who have paid the student services fee. All K-State students are welcome to attend our outreach events or access our online programs.