Psychology Training Clinic
Welcome to the Psychology Clinic
The clinic opens at the beginning of the fall semester and runs through the end of the spring semester. The clinic is open to students and community members alike. Clients can meet with their therapist through Zoom from the comfort of their home or at our in-person clinic on campus. Clients are not required to be located in San Francisco in order to use the services of the clinic. The only requirement is that clients need to be located in California.
We offer individual and group psychotherapy for a variety of concerns. Clients seek our services for issues with depression, anxiety, life transition stressors, and relationship difficulties (to name a few). If you are unsure whether psychotherapy is right for you, come set an appointment with an intake therapist, discuss your concerns with them, and then decide at that time if it is something that can be helpful for you. There is no obligation to continue with therapy after an intake interview at the Psychology Clinic.
We are staffed by skilled graduate and post-graduate students who are receiving training in the SFSU Clinical Psychology Master's Program. All therapists work under the direct supervision of a licensed therapist.
We will begin scheduling intake meetings the week that classes start each fall semester.
The Director of the Psychology Clinic is David Gard, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology.
Psychological Services
The Psychology Clinic is open from September to mid-May on Mondays-Thursdays.
We offer individual and group psychotherapy for a variety of problems. Clients seek our services for problems with depression, anxiety, adjustment to life stressors, and for relationship difficulties (to name a few). If you are unsure whether psychotherapy is right for you, come set an appointment with an intake therapist, discuss your concerns with him or her, and then decide at that time if it is something that can be helpful for you. There is no obligation to continue in therapy once you have come to the Psychology Clinic.
Our fees
Our commitment is to serve the SF State and San Francisco Bay Area community. In order to maintain our high level of care for our clients and training for our therapists we charge a small fee based on the income level of our clients. We work to keep our fees as low as possible, and currently are among the lowest fee clinics serving the SF Bay Area.
The initial intake session is $15- and subsequent therapy sessions range from $5 to $100 per session (depending on income). Our therapy session fees are set at the time of intake. Note that we will not turn anyone away who cannot afford our fees.
Our sliding scale is structured as follows:
| Gross Annual Income | Fee with no dependents | Fee with 1 dependent | Fee with 2 dependents | Fee with 3 dependents | Fee with 4 or more dependents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15,000 | 15.00 | 12.00 | 10.00 | 8.00 | 5.00 |
| 20,000 | 20.00 | 17.00 | 15.00 | 12.00 | 10.00 |
| 25,000 | 25.00 | 20.00 | 17.00 | 15.00 | 12.00 |
| 30,000 | 30.00 | 25.00 | 20.00 | 17.00 | 15.00 |
| 35,000 | 35.00 | 30.00 | 25.00 | 20.00 | 17.00 |
| 40,000 | 40.00 | 35.00 | 30.00 | 25.00 | 20.00 |
| 45,000 | 45.00 | 40.00 | 35.00 | 30.00 | 25.00 |
| 50,000 | 50.00 | 45.00 | 40.00 | 35.00 | 30.00 |
| 55,000 | 55.00 | 50.00 | 45.00 | 40.00 | 35.00 |
| 60,000 | 60.00 | 55.00 | 50.00 | 45.00 | 40.00 |
| 65,000 | 65.00 | 60.00 | 55.00 | 50.00 | 45.00 |
| 70,000 | 70.00 | 65.00 | 60.00 | 55.00 | 50.00 |
| 75,000 | 75.00 | 70.00 | 65.00 | 60.00 | 55.00 |
| 80,000 | 80.00 | 75.00 | 70.00 | 65.00 | 60.00 |
| 85,000 | 85.00 | 80.00 | 75.00 | 70.00 | 65.00 |
| 90,000 | 90.00 | 85.00 | 80.00 | 75.00 | 70.00 |
| 95,000 | 95.00 | 90.00 | 85.00 | 80.00 | 75.00 |
| 100,000 | 100.00 | 95.00 | 90.00 | 85.00 | 80.00 |
Intake and referral process
To get started, email or call the Psychology Clinic to either speak with the Clinic Coordinator or leave a message with some times to reach you. Note that the clinic is closed over the summer. After you leave a message we will call you back and talk with you briefly about the reasons you are seeking therapy at this time and will set up an intake appointment with you.
In this 50 minute intake meeting held over zoom (or in person) you will speak with an advanced graduate student therapist who will ask you questions about your current situation and will talk with you about therapy and any goals you might have for therapy. At that time you can make any request for the type of therapist that you think might be the best fit for you (e.g., some clients prefer a therapist of a specific gender, others prefer someone who has a particular background or experience, while other clients have no preference at all).
The intake meeting is $15-, and the subsequent therapy sessions are a weekly fee based on your income. After this intake meeting, the intake therapist will discuss your situation with the clinic director, and assuming your needs match with what we offer, we will assign you a therapist (also a graduate student in training). We will do our best to match a therapist with you with any requests that you have. The assigned therapist will call you and will make an appointment for your first session. Therapy sessions are 50 minutes in length and clients usually meet with their therapists once a week.
Psychotherapy services are provided for:
- Adults (individuals)
- Couples
- Families
- Children
- Adolescents
Since the Psychology Clinic is open during limited hours there are a few situations where other referrals are a better fit.
- Crisis situations, where you need to see someone immediately (e.g., serious concerns with persistent suicidality)
- Treatment that requires intensive frequency (e.g., meeting several times a week)
- Court mandated treatment
- Medical/mental health interactions that are best treated in a multidisciplinary context (e.g., in a clinic with available medical professionals)
- Serious problems with substance use
In these situations we would recommend a referral to an agency that specializes in this area.
Referrals
Gator Health and Well-being offers the SFSU community various counseling and mental health services.
SF Suicide Hotline (24-hour Crisis Line): (415) 781-0500
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
Westside Crisis and Outpatient Services: (415) 353-5050
- 888 Turk Street
SF General Hospital (Psychiatric Emergency Services): (415) 206-8125
- 24-hour services on Portrero between 22nd and 23rd Street
Trauma Recovery Center/Rape Treatment Center: (415) 437-3000 (For after-hours consultation, they direct callers to the SF Women Against Rape hotline.)
SF Women Against Rape (24-hour): (415) 647-7273
Woman Inc. (24-hour Domestic Violence Line): (415) 846-4722
National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-7233 (SAFE)
T.A.L.K. Line for parents under stress through Safe & Sound: (415) 441-5437 (KIDS)
C.U.A.V. (Community United Against Violence): (415) 777-5500
- Advocacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender folk
- 24-hour Crisis Line: (415) 333-4357 (HELP)
AIDS hotline: (415) 863-2437
Alcoholics Anonymous: (415) 647-1821
- San Francisco and Marin Intergroup: (415) 674-1821
The Dry Dock (for a list of 12-step meetings): (415) 567-1775
Access Mental Health: (415) 255-3737
- 24/7 access line, referral service for community mental health and medication
SF Psychological Association Referral Service: (415) 681-3063
- Provides a list of low-fee psychologists
New Dawn Eating Disorder Recovery Center: (916) 741-5312
The Lotus Collaborative (IOP/PHP Options in SF): (415) 931-3739
Maxine Hall Clinic: (628) 217-5400
- Low cost (based on sliding scale), medication available
- 1301 Pierce @ Ellis
HealthRIGHT 360 (MediCal Clinic): (415) 487-5632
- 558 Clayton @ Haight.
Detox Information: (800) 200-7181
Lyon Martin Women's Health Services: (415) 565-7667
- 1735 Mission Street
Women's Community Clinic: (415) 552-3870
- Mission Neighborhood Health Center
Psychology Test Library
The Psychology Department Test Library is maintained by the department's Clinical Psychology Master's Program and overseen by Sarah Holley, PhD, a member of the clinical faculty. The library contains assessment tools that may be used to conduct examinations of clients, or be used for other authorized purposes. If appropriate, graduate students may review the assessments to familiarize themselves with the specific tests. Assessments may only be conducted by students under the supervision of one of our faculty members; those faculty members must themselves possess the appropriate qualifications that allow them to use the test materials.
Contact the Psychology Department Clinic Coordinator at (415) 338-2856 for hours of availability of the Test Library or with any questions about the use of materials.
Additional Information
We are located in the Ethnic Studies and Psychology Building on the SF State campus. The SF State campus is easily accessible by BART (with a free shuttle from the Daly City Station), by MUNI (Including the M line and several buses), and also by car. There are a number of parking options within walking distance to the Psychology Clinic. Our Clinic Coordinator or your intake therapist can help you find the easiest way to our office if you are not familiar with the area.
The Ethnic Studies and Psychology building is located on G6 of this map, and we are on the 2nd floor room EP 240.
Psychology Clinic
Ethnic Studies and Psychology Building, Room 240
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132
Donations to the SF State Psychology Clinic help us maintain a high level of treatment for our clients and to enhance the training of our graduate students. We accept cash donations, books, and training materials. Send us an email to donate to the SF State Psychology Clinic.
Contact Us
Psychology Clinic
Email or call us to start the intake process or if you have any questions about the clinic.