Our Mission:
Counseling Services exists to support the academic pursuit of UC Merced students by providing professional services that care for the emotional, personal, and social wellbeing of students.
Diversity Statement:
Our ultimate goal is to provide a safe, supportive, inclusive and affirming environment for each and every UC Merced student.
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Counseling and Psychological Services
5200 North Lake Road
Merced, CA 95343
Phone: (209)228-4266
Fax: (209)228-2270
Our Mission
Mission Statement:
The mission of UC Merced Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is to support the mental health and well-being of our students. It is the intention of all CAPS staff to provide a safe, confidential atmosphere of acceptance and accessibility to professionals in the field of psychology. Services specialize in the unique needs of UC Merced students in an effort to promote their academic, personal and social development.
Diversity Statement:
The University of California, Merced (UCM) is one of the most diverse college campuses in the United States with the highest percentage of first-generation college freshman amongst all of the UC campuses. UCM Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) focuses on meeting the unique needs of this population as well as striving to maintain an environment that is supportive and affirming of all cultural diversity statuses, including but not limited to:• Ethnicity
• Race
• National Origin
• Age
• Socioeconomic Status
• Gender Identity and Expression
• Sexual Orientation
• First Language
• Ability Status
• Religion or Spiritual Beliefs/Affiliation
• Immigration Status
• Military Status
• Class
• First Generation (college student and/or American)
We acknowledge that the pursuit of multicultural awareness is a lifelong learning process. At CAPS, we believe part of that evolution involves increasing self-awareness by recognizing our own cultural limitations through our clients, community, colleagues and other educational resources. We welcome dialogue of varying perspectives as we continue to expand our knowledge base and understanding of the influences of diversity, marginalization and discrimination on the health and wellness of our students. Our aim is to integrate this learning process by celebrating differences, affirming diversity, and promoting equity and inclusion for all of our students. Our ultimate goal is to provide a safe, supportive, inclusive, and affirming environment for each and every UC Merced student.
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December 4th, 2014 Don’t Forget to BreatheAs we all know, the last few weeks of the semester can be very stressful. You can find temporary relief and a brief sense of relaxation, however, by simply paying attention to something you do thousands of times each day without ever noticing it—breathing.
All you need to do is momentarily shift your attention away from your thoughts and onto your breath as you take three mindful breaths. This means that you breathe in deeply and slowly through the nose such that your chest raises. Pause briefly, then exhale out of your mouth, making a soft “O” shape with your lips as you empty out your lungs and your chest falls. Repeat this process two more times. This can take perhaps 35-40 seconds to do, depending upon how deeply and slowly you inhale and exhale.
You will find--if you pay close attention—that you feel a mild sense of calm and well-being afterward. This is a simple but significant relaxation tool you have access to any time you need it. -
October 10th, 2014Welcome to the new, updated website for Counseling and Psychological Services. We hope that you find useful information on our site to help you or someone you are concerned about get the mental health support needed. We also have some new features in our Counseling Center, including the use of iPads to check in and a monitor with mental health wellness messaging. The Just In Case app is available on smartphones, so please upload it onto your phone where you will have it anytime you need it. This fall we are promoting the Each Mind Matters campaign, which is a California-wide initiative regarding mental health awareness and the importance of sharing our stories with others. The campaign features a lime green ribbon and we invite you to get a ribbon from us and wear it to support the 1 in 4 Americans who have mental health concerns, as all of us are touched by this issue. October is Mental Health Awareness month—a perfect time for you to join in. We will have all kinds of materials available around campus reminding you that “Each Mind Matters”!
