Appointments are now available for free and low-cost counseling services through Arizona State University’s Counseling Training Center (CTC). Open to all Arizona residents and part of ASU’s School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, the CTC has been providing this critical service from its Tempe campus since 1956, and starting in August 2026, will expand services through its Polytechnic campus location in Mesa.
The counseling program, which serves as the clinical training environment for master’s and doctoral students pursuing professional licensure in counseling and counseling psychology, is available to any student enrolled at ASU, Northern Arizona University, the University of Arizona, Arizona’s community colleges, and private colleges and universities throughout the state at no cost per semester. ASU faculty and staff may receive a full semester of counseling for just $80. The service is also available to Arizona adults who are not affiliated with a college or university for $100 per semester.
In-person counseling is provided weekly, with sessions starting August 24 in line with the start of ASU’s fall semester. Appointments are open now on a first-come, first-served basis. Telehealth appointments are available as well. Patients will be seen by counselors-in-training who have completed extensive academic and clinical preparation and are supervised throughout every session by licensed clinical faculty.
Designed to remove financial barriers to mental health care while preparing the next generation of licensed counselors, clients are assigned to the same counselor and scheduled for standing weekly appointments throughout the academic semester. Depending on when services begin, clients may receive up to 15 counseling sessions during the semester for free or for the one-time flat fee, receiving consistent support while building a meaningful therapeutic relationship.
“Too often, people delay seeking counseling because they believe it is financially out of reach,” said Jamie Bludworth, Ph.D., director of the Counselor Training Center, director of master’s training and clinical professor in ASU’s School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology. “Our goal is to remove that barrier by providing consistent, affordable care while preparing future counselors through supervised clinical training. It is a model that benefits both our clients and the profession.”
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Counselors and clients work collaboratively throughout the semester to determine whether additional counseling may be beneficial once the semester concludes.
Counseling services are tailored to each client’s individual needs and may address a variety of common mental health concerns and life challenges, including:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Personal concerns
- Relationship issues
- Family challenges
- Career counseling
- Academic stress
- Work-related stress
- Identity concerns
- Mood disorders
- Life transitions
The CTC does not currently provide counseling for couples, families or minors, prescribe medications, or offer crisis intervention services. Individuals whose needs extend beyond the center’s scope of care are referred to appropriate community providers.
“Our counselors-in-training bring fresh knowledge, tremendous dedication and a genuine commitment to helping others,” Bludworth said. “Combined with the guidance of experienced licensed faculty, clients receive thoughtful, evidence-based care while helping prepare Arizona’s future behavioral health workforce.”
As part of the CTC’s supervised learning environment, clients provide informed consent acknowledging that counseling sessions may be observed or recorded for educational and clinical supervision purposes. Individuals who choose not to participate in recorded sessions will be referred to another provider better suited to their preferences.
When bilingual counselors are available, the center also offers counseling services in Spanish under the supervision of licensed bilingual psychologists with SIELE certification.
The Fall 2026 counseling semester runs Aug. 24 through Dec. 4, while Spring 2027 services will be available Jan. 18 through April 30.
Individuals are encouraged to begin counseling at the start of the semester to maximize the number of weekly sessions available, although appointments may become available after the semester begins and waitlists are maintained when demand exceeds capacity.
