The Flexible Care Model: Transformative Practices for University Counseling Centers

Abstract

ABSTRACT College and university counseling centers have maintained core practices of advanced scheduling, thorough psychosocial assessment before treatment, and traditional 50-minute psychotherapy sessions since their inception in the mid-late 1900s. This approach has become challenged in the current university mental health landscape, which has seen a significant increase in demand for psychological treatment on campus, interest in rapid access to care, and long wait times for services. Drawing on principles from common factors research, multicultural psychology, and urgent care medicine, the Flexible Care Model embraces an alternative approach, with core practices that include same day access, variable session lengths, goal-focused counseling, and customizable follow-up plans. This article is an introduction to the model.