Frequently Asked Questions
Why counseling for graduate students?
Our experience with several thousand doctoral students has shown that counseling and psychotherapy can be highly effective in helping to mobilize strengths and overcome obstacles to progress.
How does psychotherapy work?
This is a complex question. One aspect of psychotherapy’s effectiveness is its capacity to enable people to refocus and restructure their basic approach to work, to relationships, and to their inner lives. This is a powerful concept and can be a potentially empowering process. Optimally, this process can allow people to approach life circumstances and patterns of relating to love and work in new and more adaptive ways.
Who uses the PCAD Center?
The PCAD Center has become a mainstream operation, widely used by members of the Graduate Center community. Over a four year period, the Center has been used by more than 25% of the resident student body on an individual basis. More than 40% of Graduate Center students have availed themselves of its services in group contexts.
Who is eligible for services?
Services at the PCAD Center is available free of charge to all matriculated CUNY Graduate Students.
What services are available through the PCAD Center?
The Center offers short-term individual counseling, psychotherapy, consultations and referrals to the City University of New York’s graduate student body. Group counseling regarding issues of graduate student life and dissertation completion is also available.
In addition to counseling services, we offer seminars and workshops that address a range of topics relevant to graduate students, including stress and time management, procrastination, work inhibition, parenting, the imposter syndrome, public speaking, and learning to teach. We also provide a series of structured individual consultations we call DEAP (Dissertation Effectiveness Assessment Program), specifically focused on difficulty in completing the dissertation.
Who provides the Center’s services?
The Center is staffed by licensed psychologists, postdoctoral fellows and advanced doctoral students in clinical psychology.
Does the PCAD Center handle emergencies?
The PCAD Center does not regularly provide emergency services. In the event of an emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room.
Does the PCAD Center provide medications?
The PCAD Center does not provide medications for psychiatric or psychological difficulties at this time. However, we ensure that students who may need medication are referred to the appropriate psychiatric services outside the Graduate Center.
Does the PCAD Center charge for its services?
All services are free of charge to matriculated students at CUNY’s Graduate Center.