Emmons’ mental health services include short-term individual therapy, group therapy, drop-in chats, crisis support, links to off-campus providers, virtual psychiatry and dietitian services, access to a 24/7 confidential mental health helpline, education and outreach.
Emmons Counseling does NOT have session limits. Because of Oxy's semester-based time constraints, we use a short-term therapy model, which means we help you with specific, current issues and coping strategies. If you need longer-term or specialized care, we will always work with you to find a provider to meet your needs on a timeline that works for you.
Schedule a Counseling Appointment
Call us at (323) 259-2657 or schedule via your health portal at myhealth.oxy.edu.
Emmons Counseling Hours*
- Monday: 9:00-12:00 pm, 1:00-4:00 pm
- Tuesday: 9:00-12:00 pm, 1:00-4:00 pm
- Wednesday: 9:00-11:00 am, 1:00-4:00 pm
- Thursday: 9:00-12:00 pm, 1:00-4:00 pm
- Friday: 9:00-12:00 pm, 1:00-4:00 pm
Walk-in Counseling Hours
Monday–Friday: 1:00-3:00 pm
*We are closed for lunch every day from 12:00-1:00 pm and closed every Wednesday for a staff meeting from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. While Emmons is open until 5:00 pm, the last appointments and walk-ins we can accept are at 4:00 pm.
Emmons’ counseling staff is committed to supporting the mental health needs of Oxy students. All of Emmons’ therapists have training in trauma informed care and bring a variety of professional expertise. All of our services are free of charge, regardless of insurance provider (except for psychiatry, as listed below). Our services are provided both in-person and virtual, based on student preference and provider availability.
To get connected to any of the confidential services at Emmons, you can call (323) 259-2657 or email us at emmons@oxy.edu.
Our psychiatric nurse practitioner Heidi Aguilar provides virtual services to students, and is supervised by psychiatrist Dr. Paul Kurkjian. Students with the student health insurance plan have no additional costs; the fee for all other students is $75 for the initial appointment and $35 for follow ups. Established patients may schedule directly with the psychiatric nurse practitioner; all other students must first meet with an Emmons medical provider or counselor.
Melissa Ireland, RD is available for virtual appointment on Wednesdays from 9am - 12:30pm. If you have questions or concerns about any nutrition issue, please contact emmons@oxy.edu to set up an appointment. Topics may include balancing a vegetarian diet, disordered eating patterns, food intolerance or allergies, or health issues, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or anemia.
The 24/7 confidential crisis line provides robust support for students experiencing mental health crises, emotional distress, trauma, or substance use issues. Call (323) 341-4141 day or night.
- Call for mental health or substance use-related crises
- Call for yourself or if you’re worried about someone else
- Confidential and staffed by licensed mental health professionals
- They will first assess for safety and can activate emergency response if needed
- Emmons Counseling staff will follow up the next business day with the caller
Spring 2026 Drop-In Spaces
Monday 10:00am - 11:00am with Eric Robinson, LMFT, at the Intercultural Community Center
Wednesday 2:00pm - 3:00pm with Claudia Ortega LCSW, at the Intercultural Community Center
Thursday 1:00pm - 2:00pm with Tyler Carter, LCSW, at the Academic Commons, Library 16
Spring 2026 Group
Couch Conversations at the Intercultural Community Center Thursdays from 5:00pm - 6:30pm
- Thursday March 19th with Jessica Ford - Community Care & Collective Action
- Thursday March 26th with Lena Hill - Voices & Storytelling
- Thursday April 2nd with Jessica Ford - Advocacy in Action
- Thursday April 9th with Lena Hill - Justice, Equity & Liberatio
Do you want longer-term therapy, weekly sessions, and/or sessions over school breaks? Do you want to see a therapist with a certain specialty or identity? There are many reasons to connect to off-campus therapy. Visit our Connecting to Off-Campus Therapy page to start.