Counseling Services
Meet Lindner's Embedded Counselor
The Lindner College of Business welcomed LaSondra Wayne, PsyD, as its embedded counselor in September 2023. Wayne, a UC Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) staff member, provides onsite counseling services to students.
LaSondra's career has spanned many facets of mental health care, including in-patient, outpatient and residential programs and private practice. Having previously interned with CAPS while earning her degree, LaSondra is familiar with its trauma-informed care approach, something she is deeply passionate about.
Location and Hours
- Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 2381 Lindner Hall
- Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., remote
UC Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)
UC Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) prioritizes accessible and effective services for students to access them when they need it. CAPS takes a collaborative, strengths-based approach to help students identify tools, resources and strategies to meet their mental health goals. This might only take one meeting, or it might take a little more support. Either way, we’re here to help you on your Bearcat journey.
Get Support: Call 513-556-0648
During business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.), call us to schedule a free appointment or consult with a counselor.
If you're in need of crisis support or after-hours care, call us and follow the prompts to speak to a counselor.
For a free 20-minute consult, schedule a Let's Talk! session with your embedded counselor
Student support
- If you're in need of crisis support or after-hours care, call UC CAPS (513-556-0648) and follow the prompts to speak to a counselor.
- For a free 20-minute consult, schedule a Let's Talk! session with your embedded counselor.
- During business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.), call UC CAPS to schedule. Indicate that you are a Lindner student and you'd like to schedule with LaSondra Wayne.
- UC CAPS will schedule your initial 40-minute in-person, video or phone appointment.
- UC CAPS will provide an email with instructions for completing pre-appointment paperwork and how to connect to your appointment.
- Please complete the pre-appointment paperwork prior to your counseling meeting.
Embedded outreach
If faculty, staff, or student organizations have a need for specific programs, contact LaSondra to request a presentation or workshop.
Programs could cover topics such as study skills, career development, test anxiety, stress management, self-care and suicide prevention. LaSondra and other clinicians may also be available to provide mental health support and presence for an event.
Please provide a three-week notice for requests.
Other resources
TAO is a free interactive, web-based self-help program that provides online and mobile tools to help you overcome the day-to-day challenges around stressors like anxiety, depression, or other concerns.
University of Cincinnati's Reach Out is a suicide prevention app that provides quick access to guidance for supporting a friend in need, suicide prevention or coping with mental health challenges. It also supplies information about resources and services offered on the campus and in the community, including crisis hotline numbers. The Reach Out app is designed for students, parents, friends of students, faculty and staff. The Reach Out app better prepares people to help a friend, loved one or themselves.
FAQ
Counseling is an opportunity to form a relationship with a person who is professionally trained to help discuss and navigate concerns and challenges. This helping relationship can lead to a growth process that helps individuals define goals, make decisions and solve problems related to personal-social, educational and career concerns. Some of the most common issues addressed at the center include:
- Transitioning to college life
- Stress from home
- Classroom performance
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Relationship problems
- Grief and loss
- Substance abuse
- Gender- and identity-based trauma
- Assessment and referral may be the course of services for some clients
CAPS does charge a fee for some services. The initial consultation and first three individual sessions are at no cost to students. There will be a $35 fee for most individual therapy sessions after the third individual appointment in a fiscal year. There is no charge for group therapy. No student will be denied services due to financial barriers. If you have questions or concerns about fees, please speak to your initial consultation therapist or ongoing treatment provider about a fee waiver.
CAPS waives the fees for the following students:
- Students with a Medicare, Medicaid or Student Health insurance plan
- Students who are Veterans
- Students who are Pell or Cincinnati Pride Grant Recipients
- Students who have experienced identity-based violence, stress, or trauma.
Note: Students who have service fees are waived will still be required to pay the $25 fee if a missed session was not called into CAPS within 24 hours of the session.
UC CAPS' Common Questions has more information about CAPS fees.
CAPS adheres to state, federal and professional standards in the provision of mental health services. A student’s discussions with a counselor are kept completely confidential within CAPS and will not be part of the student's school record. The exception is when a student poses foreseeable harm to self (student) or as required by HIPAA law. A student can also choose to sign a release of information form to allow the counselor to disclose confidential information to a third party.
Have more questions about confidentiality, FERPA, or requesting documentation please see common questions on the CAPS page.
Most of the time, students feel connected with their therapist. There are times, however, when it may just not feel like a good fit. Although it might feel hard, we believe it is best to speak directly with your therapist and let them know you would like to change therapists. We do not get offended when students want to change therapists, though we do find it is helpful to talk about the reasons you want to change to figure out how to best suit your needs.
Please check out all of the CAPS clinicians.
- CAPS 24/7 after-hours helpline: 513-556-0648
- Emergency Help (24-hour police assistance): call 911
- Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call text or chat: 988 or call: 800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line: Text START to 741741; in Spanish text AYUDA to 741741
- UC Psychiatric Emergency Services: 513-584-8577
- Trevor Project Lifeline (LGBTQ youth suicide prevention hotline): 866-488-7386
- Women Helping Women (Confidential support and advocacy for women struggling with sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking) 513-381-5610
- Suicide/Depression Hotline: 513-281-CARE
- United Way Help Line: 513-721-7900
- Talbert House Crisis Line (Greater Cincinnati community crisis line): 513-281-CARE (2273)
- Butler County Crisis Hotline: 513-523-4146
- Clermont County Crisis Hotline: 513-528-SAVE
- Warren County Crisis Hotline: 877-695-NEED
UC CAPS statement
University of Cincinnati Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is committed to embracing and celebrating diversity that works towards the inclusivity and belongingness for all in our campus community. We do this through ongoing training on culturally responsive approaches to therapy and examination and redefinition of our own roles, policies and biases within our system and services.
Our staff is dedicated to promoting an environment of respect, appreciation, acceptance, curiosity, and compassion towards differences in race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, religious affiliation, spiritual practices, political beliefs, sexual orientation, relational orientation, physical/mental ability, socioeconomic status and cultural worldview of all students. We take a stance against discrimination and oppression in any form and encourage the utilization of our services by all students, especially those who might be reluctant to seek traditional forms of treatment.
To this end, we strive to create an atmosphere of affirmation, openness, trust, and safety where all attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors can be openly shared and explored.