The short answer: PCC publishes a concrete same-day and after-hours route but no public therapy allowance. Ask the session-limit question during intake.¹
Start with Mental Health and Well-being Services
Book it: Use the Mental Health and Well-being appointment route or call 626-585-7273. The current phone number is 626-585-7273. Open the official service page →¹
Who can use it: Currently enrolled PCC students under the current student-health eligibility rules. What it costs: Brief campus mental-health care is covered by the student health program; no separate counseling copay is published.¹
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Brief counseling; the current official pages do not publish a fixed session count.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
Same-day crisis appointments are first come, first served during office hours by phone or in person in D-203. After hours: Call 626-585-7273 and press 9 for a clinician whenever the office is closed.²
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 →.
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 — Mental Health and Well-being, read 2026-08-24.
- PCC — Crisis Support for Students, read 2026-08-24.