What We Do

At Counseling and Psychological Services, our team supports you across a wide range of behavioral health concerns, guiding you on your path to lifelong mental wellness.

In Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), we help students navigate a wide variety of academic and non-academic challenges. Whether you are struggling with anxiety, have an interpersonal conflict with a roommate or are feeling academically overwhelmed, we are here to support you. Learn more about each of our services below.

Make an appointment

To schedule, please call us at 401 454-6637.

When you call, a staff member will ask you for some basic information, including your student ID number. If you have any preferences for a therapist (e.g., specializations), please share them when you call. You can read about our team of providers and their specialization areas below.

In case of crisis

24/7 mental health counseling access (click to call)

Reach out to connect with on-call mental health services for emergencies outside standard business hours (supported by ProtoCall).

RISD Public Safety (click to call)

Call Public Safety in the event of a crime on or near campus, or if you or someone you know is in severe mental distress.

Services offered

For current undergrad and grad students, we offer one-on-one counseling at no charge. With the support of a trained mental health professional, you can work in a safe, caring and confidential environment toward self-healing and personal growth.

Note that in some instances you will either want or need to find a therapist off campus. See our guide to referral services for more information.

Call for an appointment

We provide individual counseling to current undergraduate and graduate students, at no charge to you. In individual counseling, you work one-on-one with a trained mental health professional. Our approach supports self-awareness and personal growth.

Your first appointment with a CAPS therapist is what’s called a needs assessment. The needs assessment helps give us a sense of how we can best support you.

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To meet with a CAPS psychiatrist, you would first complete a needs assessment appointment with a staff therapist (see individual counseling above).

Your first appointment with a CAPS psychiatrist is a medication evaluation. This evaluation typically runs one hour and are scheduled for in person. Followup medication appointments usually range from 15–30 minutes and can be held virtually or in person, according to your preference.

If you are uncertain about starting medication or worry about potential side effects, you can meet with one of our psychiatrists for answers to any questions you may have.

While our psychiatrists treat a wide variety of students with different diagnoses, they do not prescribe stimulant medications typically used to treat attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If you seek a prescriber for support with ADHD (medication or diagnosis), we can help you with referrals. To access this support, call us at 401 454-6637 and state that you would like an ADHD referral.

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In the event of an emergency, call Public Safety immediately at their 24/7 number, 401 454-6666.

If you are in crisis during our normal business hours (Mon–Fri 8:30 am–4:30 pm), call 401 454-6637 so we can support you.

If you are in crisis after business hours, call the number above and follow the prompts in order to speak to a licensed mental health crisis counselor (through ProtoCall). You can also call Public Safety’s 24/7 line.

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To help you search for a therapist off campus and other off-campus services, you may connect with us for case management support. Call us at 401 454-6637 and let us know you need help accessing resources off campus.

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Our team

Made up of psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, social workers and licensed therapists, our diverse team of clinicians provide RISD students with mindful, individualized behavioral health care. Learn more about us and our specializations below.

Pronouns: she/her
Education: BSW, St. Thomas University; MSW, Boston College
Clinical interests/specializations: identity (including racial and gender), international students, first-generation students, trauma and traumatic grief, eating disorders
Languages spoken: English, French, Spanish

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Pronouns: she/her
Education: BA, Roger Williams University; MSW, Smith College
Clinical interests/specializations: LGBTQIA identity exploration, grief, trauma, supporting folks with history of domestic violence and sexual assault, anxiety disorders
Languages spoken: English

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Pronouns: he/him
Education: BA, Boston University; MA, Lesley College
Clinical interests/specializations: creatives, international students, grad students
Languages spoken: English

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Pronouns: he/him
Education: Brown University; Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons
Psychiatry residency: Brown University/Butler Hospital
Clinical interests/specializations: young adult psychiatry
Languages spoken: English

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Pronouns: he/him
Education: Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Mexico
Postdoctoral training: Yale University
Residency training: University of Utah, Brown University/Butler Hospital
Areas of interest: young adult psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry
Languages: English, Spanish

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Pronouns: she/her
Education: BA, Hobart and William Smith Colleges; MSW, Rhode Island College
Clinical interests/specializations: trauma-informed care; mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy; mindfulness meditation; utilizing an authentic, strengths-based collaborative approach; working with immigrants, first-generation, BIPOC, intersecting identiies; supporting students with anxiety and mood disorders, chronic illness and grief
Languages spoken: English

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Pronouns: he/him
Education: BA, Suffolk University; MA/CAGS, Rhode Island College
Clinical interests/specializations: OCD/anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, ADHD, existential issues, autism spectrum disorders
Languages spoken: English

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Pronouns: she/her
Education: BSSc, the Chinese University of Hong Kong; MA/CAGS, Rhode Island College
Clinical interests/specializations: adjustment, acculturation, relationships, depression, anxiety
Languages spoken: English, Mandarin, Cantonese

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Send us your feedback

If you have concerns about your experience with CAPS or anything else you’d like to share, you can email Director Deborah Levans or call us at 401 454-6637. You can also request to fill out a student satisfaction survey by emailing the office and requesting the link.

Request student satisfaction survey

Contact CAPS

Hours

Mon–Fri: 8:30 am–4:30 pm

Mon (extended hours): 4:30–7 pm

Wed (extended hours): 4:30–8 pm

Contact

72 Pine Street, 2nd floor

Providence, RI 02903

401 454-6637

counseling@risd.edu

Learn about us

Living at RISD

Finding Community

Health and Wellness

Academic Support

What We Do

Make an appointment

In case of crisis

Services offered

Individual counseling appointments (in person and virtual)

Medication management/consultation (in person or and virtual)

Crisis management: 24/7 access to mental health support (via our partner, ProtoCall)

Clinical case management for off-campus referrals

Our team

Deborah Levans, LICSW — director

Nicole Nelson, LICSW — associate director

Damion Vania, LMHC — staff counselor

Dr. Harold Woodcome, MD — psychiatrist

Dr. Daniel Trujillo Diaz — psychiatry resident

Maria Toprani, LICSW — intercultural specialist

Mike Petrarca, LMHC — part-time counselor

Yatyee Lee, LMHC — part-time counselor

Send us your feedback

Contact CAPS

Hours

Contact