The short answer: PCC publishes a concrete same-day and after-hours route but no session allowance and no price. Crisis walk-in hours are narrower than the office's — 10 to 4, not 8 to 4.¹
Start with Mental Health and Well-being Services
Book it: Use the appointment route on PCC's mental-health service page or call 626-585-7273. The current phone number is 626-585-7273. Open the official service page →¹
Who can use it: students "are currently enrolled in at least one unit of a credit class."² What it costs: Not published. PCC's mental-health pages carry no cost or fee statement at all, so ask at booking rather than assuming the health fee covers it.¹ ²
The limit that matters
Brief counseling; the current official pages do not publish a fixed session count. 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
"Crisis appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis" and "may be scheduled by phone 626-585-7273 or in person (D-203)" — but note the two different windows: crisis walk-in hours are Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., while the office is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.¹ ³ After hours: "Dial 626-585-7273 and press 9 to be connected to a clinician."³
Medication and longer-term therapy
Psychiatry: Medication management is not listed as a standard service on the counseling pages. When campus care is too short: Staff can connect students whose needs exceed brief care with community treatment.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 Pasadena City College door
| What you need | Start here | What to say or ask |
|---|---|---|
| Help today | Same-day crisis appointments are first come, first served during office hours by phone or in person in D-203. | “I need urgent support today.” If you may be in immediate danger, call 911. |
| A first counseling visit | Use the Mental Health and Well-being appointment route or call 626-585-7273. | Ask whether intake counts toward the session allowance and when the first clinical visit can happen. |
| Evening or weekend support | Call 626-585-7273 and press 9 for a clinician whenever the office is closed. | Ask whether this is crisis-only, one-time support or a route that can schedule recurring care. |
| Medication | Medication management is not listed as a standard service on the counseling pages. | Ask whether a referral is required, what a visit costs and who handles refills between terms. |
| Weekly, specialized or longer-term therapy | Staff can connect students whose needs exceed brief care with community treatment. | 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 Pasadena City 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
- PCC — campus mental-health service, read 2026-09-12.
- PCC — Getting Started, read 2026-09-12.
- PCC — Crisis Support for Students, read 2026-09-12.
Correction, 12 September 2026: both URLs this page previously cited now return 404 — PCC renamed the service in 2026; the current name is on the page we now link. The claim that brief care is "covered by the student health program" has been removed: no PCC mental-health page makes it.