Counseling and Training Clinic

Who can receive services?

Any member of the general community who is 6 years of age and older may receive services at the clinic. A minor wanting to receive services at the Counseling and Training Clinic must have their parent or legal guardian schedule the appointment.

Who is my counselor?

Counselors are graduate students in the last phases of their education and training at UTRGV. Student counselors are ALWAYS under the direct supervision of Licensed Professional Counselors and/or program faculty.

How long is my session?

Each session is 45 minutes.

What is the cost of a session?

Counseling sessions are provided free of charge.

Can I receive Counseling and Training Clinic services if I am currently suicidal, psychotic, or homicidal?

No. You will be referred to an agency more adapted to your needs.

What are the types of counseling services provided at the Counseling and Training Clinic?

The clinic provides a variety of services including individual, group, couples, marriage, and family counseling.

What are the concerns/issues presented by clients receiving services at the Counseling and Training Clinic?

Commonly presented issues may include but are not limited to:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Grief
• Adolescent Behavioral Concerns
• Time Management
• Parenting Skills Training
• Marital Conflict
• Anger Management

Can I receive Counseling and Training Clinic services if I’m a UTRGV student or employee?

No. Clinic services are not offered to currently enrolled UTRGV students, faculty, or staff. These individuals will be referred to an appropriate agency within the university.

Emergency Services

The clinic does not have anyone on call. Clients in a crisis should call 911 or the Tropical Texas Behavioral Health Crisis Line at 1-877-289-7199.

How do I make an appointment?

Call the clinic of your choice at any time. If you are calling when the clinic is closed, leave a voicemail with your name and phone number and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.

Who has access to VALT?

Only authorized UTRGV employees and counselors who require access for job requirements. The clinic director provides approval for accessing the portal via a Get Access Service Request via UTRGV Support Center.

UTRGV students who have been verified that they are either a current student requiring access to complete their coursework in accordance with the Master of Education Counseling degree program requirements.

Where can I access the VALT system?

The VALT portal is a secure system that is only available to access on authorized computers within the clinic sites. The clinics office and administrative assistants can assist you with instructions and directing you to the approved computers within the clinic.

How can you access the login portal?

Once you have granted access to the VALT portal, you can access the clinic lab computers to navigate to the following address https://ctclinic.ad.utrgv.edu/ using your UTRGV identifier for your username and UTRGV credential password.

Individual and Couples Counseling 

• 12 weeks, 50 minutes per session 

Group Counseling 

• Duration and availability of groups varies by group and semester 
• General Counseling—For clients interested in general emotional support, relationship healing, career clarification, etc. 
• Anger Management Counseling—For clients who may have been court-ordered to receive services, or may elect to receive them voluntarily 
• Reducing Stress and Relaxation 
• Support for Teachers Working On-Line 
• Support for Parents Home Schooling Children 
• Social Skills for Children 

Our counselors are students in the 60-hour Master’s of Education in Counseling program. At the time of providing services, they are necessarily enrolled in one of their three “field” courses —Practicum, Internship I, or Internship II — in which they accrue direct counseling experience in schools, in the clinic, or in external agency venues in the community. 

Our student counselors cannot practice independently, nor can they receive compensation for their services. However, they have completed most of their coursework by the time they enroll in their field courses. Thus, they are familiar with the major theories and interventions used in contemporary counseling, and have practiced a variety of counseling methods. All of our student counselors are supervised by the Counseling and Training Clinic (CTC) supervisors, as well as by their Practicum or Internship professors. Our student counselors must maintain their own liability insurance coverage, and they have been cleared by criminal background checks. 

Our Clinic Director 

Celinda Quintanilla 
Clinic Director 
Brownsville BNOBL 122 
Edinburg EEDUC 1.226 
(956) 882-7792 
(956) 665-3073 
celinda.quintanilla@utrgv.edu  

Our Clinical Supervisors 

Patricia Fernandez 
Supervising Clinical Therapist 
Brownsville BNOBL 121 
(956) 882-7792 
patricia.fernandez@utrgv.edu  

Roy Rosales 
Supervising Clinical Therapist 
Edinburg EEDUC 1.224 
(956) 665-3738 
roy.rosales@utrgv.edu   

Our Office Staff 

Briana Garcia 
Office Assistant II 
Brownsville BNOBL 114 
(956) 882-7792 
briana.garcia@utrgv.edu  

Sandra Perez 
Administrative Assistant I 
Edinburg EEDUC 1.270B 
(956) 665-5251 
sandra.y.perez@utrgv.edu   

What to Expect Scheduling your first appointment: 

• If you are in crisis, it is important for you to take prompt action, because the UTRGV clinics do not provide on-call crisis intervention. If you are in crisis, call Tropical Texas Behavioral Health Crisis Line at 877-289-7199. 

• If you are not in crisis, please fill out the  Intake Form (English or Spanish) and Symptom Checklist. You must do this before we contact you. 
• After you submit your initial screening, you will receive a confirmation email indicating that you have been added to the waitlist. 
• Once appointments are scheduled, the clinic staff will contact you to schedule an appointment with a student counselor. 
• The clinic staff will book the appointment on Titanium. 
• You will receive a text message and a phone call reminder the day before the appointment. 
• You will also receive an email with your appointment date and time, a Zoom link (if telehealth, the clinic address (if face-to-face), and the OQ Questionnaire before the appointment. 

Crisis Help Information for Clients and Students

The Counseling and Training Clinic functions both as a community Clinic for the provision of counseling services and as a training site for Master's level students and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) interns who are the direct services providers (Counselors in Training).

The Counseling and Training Clinic is able to provide services to individuals only during standard operating hours. These hours are currently 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Mondays through Thursdays and 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Fridays.

The Counseling and Training Clinic is closed during school holidays. If you are receiving services at The Counseling and Training Clinic and have need of counseling at a time when The Counseling and Training Clinic is closed or your counselor is not available, please use the information below.

Main number for any type of emergency: 911

You may download the emergency information provided on this page as a PDF document.

IMPORTANT: If you are in a crisis situation, please state clearly to the on-call mental health worker at the facility which you are contacting that you are in crisis and need emergency care. If a critical need is not conveyed, the mental health worker may not be able to properly assess your status.

You may go to your nearest or preferred hospital emergency room, where you will be evaluated and given the appropriate care. You may also contact your family physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other mental health professional.

Getting Ready to Use Zoom Videoconferencing

First of all, it is easy to use Zoom, so don’t worry if you’ve never used it!

To prepare for your first session, you need to go to Zoom.us, and download the software for your device. You can use a PC, Mac, IOS device or Android Device.

We recommend that you use a tablet or computer for group, since you will not be able to see everyone on a tiny screen.

Be ready for technical surprises your first time! That is, you might find that your audio doesn’t seem to be on, or your camera doesn’t seem to be working. Usually these problems can be quickly resolved, but it can take a few minutes.

You need to conduct your session from a quiet, private room. It doesn’t work to have kids, spouses, dogs or noises in the background.

During group sessions, your leader may request that you keep your mic mute when you are not speaking, at least until you can determine that there will be no extraneous noises around you.

Client Session Log (Form)

As a client at the UTRGV Counseling and Training Clinic, please submit a Client Session Log after each completed session.

Client Session Log

Clinic Rooms

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Counseling and Training Center managers two site locations providing services in Brownsville and Edinburg.

• Brownsville North Building (BNOBL)
• 1 Family/Play Group Therapy Room
• 4 Small Group Therapy Rooms
• 1 Workroom (9 Computer Stations)
• Edinburg Education Complex (EEDUC)
• 1 Play Therapy Room
• 1 Family Therapy Room
• 1 Group Therapy Room
• 10 Individual Therapy Rooms
• 1 Workroom (10 Computer Stations)

Video Observation System (VALT)

The Counseling and Training Clinic utilizes a video observation system in both site locations. The Intelligent Video Solutions Video Audio Learning Tool (VALT) is used by Counselors for self-reflection in providing counseling services. Clinical Supervisor or UTRGV Internship Professors may review a session together with the Counselor for further evaluation and feedback. Counseling therapy sessions are only recorded with the permission of the patient.

VALT Portal