The short answer: Six free sessions renew each enrolled semester. Request the community route before the sixth visit if you need open-ended care.¹

Start with Student Health Services Mental Health Counseling

Book it: Use the Student Health portal or contact The Well for a counseling appointment. The current phone number is 805-730-4098. Open the official service page →¹

Who can use it: Currently enrolled SBCC students who paid the health fee. What it costs: Individual and group counseling are free to eligible students.¹

The limit that matters

Up to six counseling sessions per semester while enrolled. 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

Contact The Well during open hours for urgent support. After hours: Use 988 or Santa Barbara County Behavioral Well-being at 888-868-1649 after hours.²

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

Medication and longer-term therapy

Psychiatry: The public counseling page does not promise campus psychiatry. When campus care is too short: The Well connects students to community care when longer-term or specialized treatment is 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 →.

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 Santa Barbara 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

  1. SBCC — Student Health Services, read 2026-08-24.
  2. SBCC — Mental-health counseling consent and session limit, read 2026-08-24.