How to connect with mental health support
Scheduling an access appointment is the first step to connecting with many services offered by Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), as well as other support options.
During this free 20-minute appointment (typically conducted by Zoom), a Cornell Health counselor will ask you questions, listen to your concerns, and match you with appropriate care, which might include:
- Individual counseling with a CAPS counselor at Cornell Health or at one of our Embedded Therapist locations
- Group counseling (students may also schedule a group orientation through myCornellHealth)
- Mental health medication management (managed by members of our Medical Team)
- Other options for support, including on-campus and off-campus services and resources
Note: You do not need to schedule an access appointment to participate in CAPS' drop-in services (Let's Talk and CAPS workshops).
Learn more about what to expect from your access appointment.
How to schedule an access appointment
- Log in to myCornellHealth using your Cornell NetID and password, and select Appointments.*
- You may also schedule by calling 607-255-5155 during business hours.
*Most access appointments are conducted by Zoom. If you need a private space from which to join your Zoom appointment, please see Finding a private space to conduct your telehealth appointment. To request an in-person appointment, please call us to schedule instead of scheduling online.
What to expect from your appointment
The purpose of an access appointment is to understand your concerns and connect you with appropriate support. (Access appointments are not counseling sessions, but can be the first step to being connected with individual counseling.)
Here’s what to expect.
- Start by completing a pre-appointment questionnaire: 5 minutes before your appointment begins, log in to myCornellHealth and click "Appointments" so you can complete your pre-appointment questionnaire. (For in-person appointments, arrive 5 minutes early to complete your questionnaire.) The questionnaire is designed to gather some initial information about you to guide your conversation with the access counselor, and will ask you to indicate which types of concerns you’re experiencing (including stress, mood concerns, loneliness, grief / loss, relationship issues, identity concerns, career concerns, international student concerns, etc.).
- During your appointment: If you are meeting with your counselor by Zoom, they will join you via secure Zoom platform through myCornellHealth. The access counselor will ask you questions to get to know you, your background, and your reasons for seeking help. They will refer to the concerns you indicated in your pre-appointment questionnaire, and may also ask you additional questions about your sleep habits, nutrition, substance use, history with mental health care, history of self-harm, and suicidality (among other topics and concerns).
- At the end of the conversation: The counselor will provide you with care recommendations to meet your needs, and help you get connected with services and support.
Need other types of support?
Visit the university’s Mental Health at Cornell website for a comprehensive list of campus resources – including academic, social, identity-specific, etc. – to support your well-being and help you flourish at Cornell.