The short answer: Six visits a semester, free, and open to any enrolled LACCD student — not just Pierce students.¹
Start with the Student Health Center's personal mental health counseling
Book it: Call the Student Health Center for an appointment with the psychotherapist. The current phone number is 818-710-4270. Open the official service page →¹
Who can use it: Psychotherapy is "available to all currently enrolled LACCD students" — district-wide, not Pierce only.¹ What it costs: Nothing. "All registered students, regardless of insurance, are eligible for the same no cost or low cost health care," including "free psychological services, if needed."²
The limit that matters
There is a published limit: "a student can see the psychotherapist up to six times a semester."¹ Plan the sixth visit as a hand-off, not an ending, and start the outside referral before you reach it.
If you need help today
"On-campus personal counseling, crisis intervention, and referrals are available. Call the Student Health Center at extension 4270 or (818) 710-4270."² After hours: 988, 911, or the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health ACCESS line on 800-854-7771, which "operates 24 hours/day, 7 days/week."³
Medication and longer-term therapy
Psychiatry: The center does not promise ongoing psychiatric medication management. When campus care is too short: The Health Center and Counseling Office provide outside referrals when needed.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 →.
Choose the right Los Angeles Pierce College door
| What you need | Start here | What to say or ask |
|---|---|---|
| Help today | The Student Health Center provides crisis intervention during open hours. | “I need urgent support today.” If you may be in immediate danger, call 911. |
| A first counseling visit | Call the Student Health Center for an appointment with a psychologist or supervised doctoral intern. | Ask whether intake counts toward the session allowance and when the first clinical visit can happen. |
| Evening or weekend support | Use 988, 911 or the Los Angeles County Help Line at 800-854-7771. | Ask whether this is crisis-only, one-time support or a route that can schedule recurring care. |
| Medication | The center does not promise ongoing psychiatric medication management. | Ask whether a referral is required, what a visit costs and who handles refills between terms. |
| Weekly, specialized or longer-term therapy | The Health Center and Counseling Office provide outside referrals when needed. | Say what matters: specialty, identity, location, telehealth, language, insurance and maximum price. |
Before you spend money outside campus
Campus counseling and outside insurance are separate. Before booking an outside therapist, ask:
- Is this clinician in-network for my exact plan—not just the insurance company?
- What will I owe before and after my deductible?
- Does the plan require a campus referral or prior authorization?
- If the clinician is out-of-network, will they provide a superbill and where do I submit it?
If you use a parent’s plan, ask the insurer how to request confidential communications before the first claim. An explanation of benefits can otherwise show that care was used.
What to ask in the first appointment
- What is my individual-session limit this term or year, and does intake count?
- If I need weekly or specialized care, who starts the outside referral?
- Is psychiatry separate, and does it require a campus or insurance referral?
- What can I use while I am waiting: a group, same-day consultation, or virtual care?
- Will any charge or insurance explanation be sent to someone else?
Verification record
Every campus-specific statement above was read on an official Los Angeles Pierce College 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
- Pierce — Psychotherapy, read 2026-09-12.
- Pierce — Student Health Center, read 2026-09-12.
- Pierce — Health Resources, read 2026-09-12.
Correction, 12 September 2026: Pierce's site has moved from piercecollege.edu to lapc.edu, and this page previously said no session limit was published. One is: six visits a semester. Counselling is also published as free and open district-wide. A 2016–2023 accreditation-evidence PDF that this page had cited for live access facts has been replaced with the health centre's own resources page.