The short answer: There is no published session cap or campus copay. Ask for community-referral help early if you need open-ended weekly therapy.¹

Start with Student Well-being Services Counseling

Book it: Call, visit Student Well-being Services South or send a secure message through the Student Health Portal. The current phone number is 626-395-8331. Open the official service page →¹

Who can use it: Currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of insurance plan. What it costs: Counseling and psychiatrist visits referred by Counseling Services are free.¹

The limit that matters

Goal-oriented brief therapy with no fixed session limit. This is the fact to confirm again at intake, because staffing and campus rules can change during the academic year.¹

If you need help today

Ask for a same-day crisis appointment during business hours. After hours: Call 626-395-8331 and press 2 for a clinician 24/7, including weekends and holidays.²

In crisis? Call or text 988 — free, 24/7.

Medication and longer-term therapy

Psychiatry: A consulting psychiatrist is available through a Counseling Services referral at no charge. When campus care is too short: Counselors help students find community therapy for long-term, multiple-weekly or higher-level care.²

If you use a parent’s insurance, billing paperwork can disclose that care was used. Read the student privacy and EOB route →. If money is the obstacle, compare Medi-Cal →, sliding-scale care →, and California-wide telehealth →.

What to ask in the first appointment

  1. What is my individual-session limit this term or year, and does intake count?
  2. If I need weekly or specialized care, who starts the outside referral?
  3. Is psychiatry separate, and does it require a campus or insurance referral?
  4. What can I use while I am waiting: a group, same-day consultation, or virtual care?
  5. Will any charge or insurance explanation be sent to someone else?

Verification record

Every campus-specific statement above was read on an official California Institute of Technology page. Core access facts are due for re-check by 2026-11-22. A missing number is reported as “not published,” never filled from an old catalog or another campus.

Sources

  1. Caltech — Counseling Services, read 2026-08-24.
  2. Caltech — Counseling FAQs, read 2026-08-24.