Start with the counseling appointment line
SMU offers short-term individual counseling through the Dr. Bob Smith Health Center. Call 214-768-2277 to arrange a counseling appointment. Explain whether you are seeking therapy for the first time, returning to counseling or asking how to connect with a prescriber.
Before calling, write one sentence about the help you want and list times you can reliably attend. Ask what the first appointment includes and which channel to use for forms. Keep a note of the next step so that a general inquiry does not get mistaken for a confirmed appointment.
Sources: SMU Counseling Options
Understand the psychiatric assessment pathway
SMU describes its psychiatry service as primarily for enrolled students working with an SMU counselor. If you have an outside therapist, its guidance asks that clinician to send treatment records before SMU determines whether an appointment is appropriate. An assessment does not guarantee ongoing psychiatric care.
Ask which pathway fits your situation before requesting a transfer. Tell the office whether you already receive medication, who currently prescribes it and whether you intend to keep your existing therapist. The purpose is to identify the right assessment route, not to assume that every clinician involved will change at once.
Sources: SMU Psychiatric Services
Make a plan with your existing prescriber
SMU encourages students whose treatment is stable and well controlled to continue with their home clinician. If you are considering a change, discuss it with that clinician and ask what is possible while you are at school.
Map out the practical questions before ending an existing arrangement. Where will you be for follow-up appointments? Which office will answer treatment questions? What happens if the receiving clinic needs additional records or recommends a different service? Ask your current prescriber what to do if your medication supply may end before the next appointment; do not assume an intake request secures a refill.
Sources: SMU Psychiatric Services
Request the right records through the right channel
SMU publishes a medical-records consent form for obtaining or releasing records. Before completing it, ask the health center whether that form and destination are appropriate for the information your receiving clinician needs.
Confirm the receiving practice’s name, requested records and approved delivery method with both offices. Ask whether anything else is needed after the records arrive. Keep your own short list of treatment goals, previous clinicians and current medications for the appointment. Avoid sending a full medical history through a general website contact form.
Sources: SMU Medical Release of Information
Compare campus, online and outside options
SMU’s counseling-options page also lists BetterMynd and AcademicLiveCare. Check the current student access instructions and the service offered by each before registering. An online counseling benefit should not be assumed to include the same medication pathway as campus psychiatry.
For an outside clinic, verify the exact clinician, service, insurance plan and expected charge. If you will travel during a break, ask whether appointments can continue from your destination. Take an outside referral back to your campus or existing care team if you need help understanding which provider should handle which part of care.
Sources: SMU Counseling Options
Use urgent support when needed
SMU lists 214-768-2277 for immediate non-life-threatening concerns after clinic hours. For a life-threatening situation, call 911 or SMU Police at 214-768-3333. A records request or routine booking inquiry is not an urgent-care channel.
Sources: SMU Counseling Emergencies
Considering therapy or medication management at Lyte
Lyte provides therapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication management. Ask which service and clinician fit your needs. A medication evaluation does not guarantee a prescription or continuation of a particular medication.
Lyte Psychiatry offers telehealth visits to patients who are physically located in Texas at the time of the visit. In-person appointments take place at Lyte’s Pantego clinic; this campus guide does not describe a Lyte office at the institution.
Coverage and costs depend on your specific plan, clinician, visit type and deductible. Confirm network status and expected costs before booking. A student plan, parent’s plan or campus referral does not by itself establish Lyte coverage.
Request a Lyte appointmentConfirm appointment format, availability and costs before booking. For questions, call 469-733-0848. Clinic hours are Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM Central Time. Weekend appointments are limited and offered case by case.
Send medical records and insurance details only through the practice’s approved secure intake process.
Questions before you arrange care
Can an outside therapist refer me for an SMU psychiatric assessment?
SMU describes a records-review pathway for students working with an outside therapist. Ask the counseling office how the current process applies to you; sending records does not itself confirm an appointment.
Sources: SMU Psychiatric Services
Does a campus referral mean an outside appointment is paid for?
Verify the outside service’s charges and your exact insurance benefits directly. A referral identifies a possible care option; it does not settle the payment arrangement.
What should I confirm before switching clinicians?
Identify who will provide therapy, who will handle medication questions, which records are needed and the confirmed next appointment. Ask the current clinician about the transition before canceling existing care.
Sources and verification
The institution sources below support the campus information in this guide. Resource descriptions are not live appointment inventory. Verify current requirements directly with the relevant service.
- SMU Counseling Options — checked .
- SMU Psychiatric Services — checked .
- SMU Medical Release of Information — checked .
- SMU Counseling Emergencies — checked .