Accessibility is central to the mission of the Counselor Training Center at Arizona State University, so when an opportunity to expand services to the East Valley emerged, faculty in the School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology didn’t hesitate to take it.
The Counselor Training Center, also known as the CTC, opened in the 1950s at the Tempe campus, where it continues to offer general counseling to the ASU and broader community. In the fall, it launched bilingual services in Spanish — aligning with the university charter’s inclusivity and public value mission, as well as ASU’s Hispanic-Serving Institution designation.
The CTC is continuing its growth trajectory this year.
It will open a clinic at the Polytechnic campus this spring, where it will offer in-person psychological assessments, including ADHD and learning disorder evaluations for ASU and the broader community, aged 8 and above.
In fall 2026, autism spectrum assessments and in-person and telehealth bilingual general counseling services will also be available in Spanish at the Polytechnic campus clinic.
“There is a demand for affordable assessment services in the Valley,” said Jamie Bludworth, CTC director, director of master’s training, and clinical associate professor in the School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts. “Families pay upwards of $3,500 for learning assessments, and many can’t afford it, so they forgo the mental health services they need, and we don’t want to let that happen.”
Amber Schaefer is the incoming supervisor of the new assessment program and a faculty associate and alumna of the School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology.
“I’m excited to see this offered through the program, and it’s especially meaningful to help build something I once wished had been available as a student,” said Schaefer, whose advanced training includes a postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Assessment packages will include three sessions: a one-hour initial appointment, an assessment appointment ranging from three to five hours, and a one-hour feedback session to conclude.
Clients will receive a comprehensive written report outlining evaluation findings and individualized recommendations. This report may be shared with schools, workplaces and disability service agencies to support access to appropriate services and accommodations.
Creating value for the community and students
The Counselor Training Center’s impact extends beyond its service to the community.
It plays a vital role in the education of master’s and doctoral students in the School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology, who complete required clinical training at the center as counselors-in-training.
Under the supervision of licensed clinical faculty, counselors-in-training work directly with clients, providing evidence-based care informed by research. Students who offer bilingual services in Spanish, such as Angela Pentland, are supervised by bilingual licensed clinical faculty with SIELE (Spanish) certification. Pentland is a Master of Counseling immersion student — a degree that recently earned accreditation from the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council.
“Being able to create a more accessible space where individuals feel welcome to share their unique experiences in the language they feel most comfortable speaking is incredibly rewarding, and it fosters a sense of openness and trust that can be important for healing and growth,” Pentland said.
The integration of experiential learning into academic training is a cornerstone of the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts' applied learning approach, and the addition of new psychological evaluation services will only broaden student experiences. The CTC’s clinical services exemplify how hands-on, real-world experiences are essential in preparing students for successful professional careers.
Poised for growth
The School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology, which offers counseling education from the undergraduate to the doctoral level, is dedicated to continued and thoughtful expansion as academic and community demands shift.
When the demand for online learning surged, the school responded by expanding its Master of Counseling degree with an online modality; and when a shortage of K–12 school counselors was identified, the school opened pathways for graduates to become K–12 school counselors.
The school’s successful growth is partly due to its robust framework. Its bachelor’s degree in counseling and applied psychological science is the first and largest of its kind in the country, offering concentrations in substance abuse and addictions, sport and performance counseling, and counseling military members and veterans. And the counseling psychology doctoral program, established in 1972, is accredited by the American Psychological Association, and is one of the nation’s oldest accredited PhD programs.
Bludworth looks forward to building on this momentum while serving the community in a new way.
“Our goal at the (center) is not to make a profit, but to provide counseling to the ASU and broader communities and to give our students the critical training they need so they can make a real impact in the world after they graduate,” he says.
If you’d like to make an appointment for an ADHD or learning disorder assessment at the Polytechnic campus, contact [email protected] or call 480-965-5067 and indicate your interest in a psychological evaluation. Assessment costs will range from $400-$600.
If you are interested in general counseling or Spanish services at the Tempe campus or via telehealth, visit cisa.asu.edu/ctc for more information.
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