
Cristina M. Costa
- Director - Counseling Center
Welcome to RIC Counseling Center – part of the Center for Health & Wellness in the Division of Student Success. We are here to support our diverse student body to fully develop their intellectual, emotional, and social potential.
Through high quality professional and confidential services, we aim to reduce distress, promote emotional wellness, enhance life satisfaction, and improve overall well-being.
Academic Year Hours: Mon–Thu: 8:30 am–7 pm, Fri: 8:30 am–4:30 pm
Summer Hours: Mon–Fri: 8 am–4 pm
HOPE Line at 401-456-4673 is a 24/7 mental health emergency line for all RIC students.
On-campus emergencies: call Campus Polices at 401-456-8888. Other emergencies: call 911
All services at the Counseling Center are free to Rhode Island College students. You do not need to provide insurance or payment of any sort. To help you navigate the Counseling Center, here we provide information on:
We strive to achieve this mission by:
Our main goal is for you to feel both understood and cared for. After assessing the concerns together, you and your therapist will develop a plan that meets your needs.
Although much learning in college occurs in the classroom, there is also a great deal of learning that occurs outside it. In counseling, the learning is about you, who you really are and where you are going with your life, how to manage emotions, or how to resolve or cope with internal or interpersonal conflicts. Counseling can help renew a sense of active engagement in learning and life.
The approaches to counseling used by our staff and students span a diversity of perspectives, yet there is also cohesiveness in our understanding of what promotes wellness and distress. We respect all clients as an important collaborator in their mental health journey and understand that many factors outside of us contribute to our wellbeing.
The RIC Counseling Center takes students’ privacy very seriously and maintains a strict policy on confidentiality. Limitations to confidentiality will be discussed at the first session. Mental health records are maintained separately from your academic records and are not released without your written consent.
If you are experiencing overwhelming challenges and need to speak with a therapist urgently, we offer same day appointments during the week.
You can speak with a clinician any time of day or night, thanks to RIC Counseling Center's partnership with TELUS Health. Calling the Hope Line or using the TELUS Health app will get you in touch with a TELUS Health clinician.
Request an appointment online or over the phone with counseling services.
The Counseling Center is made up of licensed psychologists, a psychiatrist (Fall/Spring semesters only), social workers and graduate students in training, all from different cultural and theoretical backgrounds.
Learn more about Rhode Island College's initiatives, information and resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
First-year college students are at the highest risk of developing depression and anxiety.
RIC faculty, staff and students are transitioning back to face-to-face interactions on campus. But what is the healthiest way to return to “normal”?
Family Services of Rhode Island and RIC Counseling Center will be offering FREE Mental Health First Aid Training for faculty and staff.