Join a welcoming community for students living with symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. 

Our group provides a safe space to share experiences, learn strategies, and find support.

Drop in starting 10/2!

Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), this group incorporates mindfulness and stress management strategies to teach participants new ways to understand anxiety and other emotional concerns. Participants learn skills to better manage their symptoms. The group meets for 4 sessions.

To participate in the Anxiety ACTion group, call the Counseling Center at (859) 257-8701.

This group address the needs of BIPOC graduate and professional students.

Drop in for a cup of tea or coffee, community, support, and conversation. 

No appointment required!

Call (859) 257-8701 for more information
 

There are many resources, both on and off campus. Learning what is available and a good fit for your needs is something we can help with. Case managers have in-depth knowledge of the resources and can walk you through every step in making those connections.  Making a referral for yourself gets you set up with a case manager.

Eating Concerns Dietitian Services:

The registered dietitian (RD) will work with students who are struggling with their relationship with food.  Whether an eating disorder, disordered eating or other eating concerns the RD will help the student explore their thoughts about food, body and/or movement, their eating behaviors and barriers to recovery. Individualized recommendations will be made in regards to nutritional needs, meal planning and weight restoration, as needed.

Nutrition Care Philosophy:

The RD utilizes an evidence-based, weight-inclusive philosophy. They embrace well-being independent of weight through a non-diet, Health at Every Size and Intuitive Eating approach.  They focus on establishing life-long behaviors recognizing that weight is not a behavior.  The RD helps students develop a positive relationship with food by achieving adequacy and consistency without rigid rules or restriction.

Additional UK Dietitian Services:

• University Health Service (UHS): for general nutrition counseling or medical conditions please contact the appointment line (859) 323-2778 to schedule with the Nutrition Coach or thru MyChart.
• UK Dining: Please contact Jessica Carter, RDN, LD (diningdietitian@lsv.uky.edu), for general nutrition counseling for students living on campus and eating on the meal plan.  She can also help manage food allergies when dining on campus.
• UK Athletics: Please contact Monica Fowler, MS, RD, LD (monica.fowler@uky.edu), for sports nutrition needs as a student athlete. 

Our Financial Aid Counseling Team works together to provide information and solutions that assist our students with affording their educational expenses. Students can Schedule an Appointment  to meet one-on-one with one of our counselors or call our office at (859) 257-3172.  Walk-in visits are also encouraged from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday, unless the campus is closed for holidays or emergencies.

*During peak times appointments may only be available as In-Person on our scheduling page.  Please note that you may indicate in the "Provide Additional Information" section that you would like for a counselor to send a virtual link for that time or to call you at the number you provide, during that scheduled appointment time. 

The Financial Ombud Services office provides guidance and assistance, specific to their UK billing statement, to students who have encountered financial difficulties only after they have met with their University of Kentucky financial aid counselor. The Financial Ombud Services works with students individually to assist in student financial challenges affecting scheduled payments for tuition and fees to the university. 

Navigating life stressors through the college years can be difficult and overwhelming at times. The Center for Support and Intervention staff are here to help! Case management is designed to guide you to identify your needs, build problem-solving strategies, and connect to resources around campus and Lexington; all with the care and support of your dedicated CSI case manager.  

In the Graduate and Professional Student Support Group, graduate and professional students can seek support around any number of issues that are interfering with or an outgrowth of their graduate/professional school study.

Common discussions include:

• stress of graduate/professional school
• lack of progress or productivity
• procrastination
• deciding whether or not to stay in a program
• problems with advisors or committees
• financial strain, often due to funding issues 

Some concerns, such as family or health issues, arise that are not specific to graduate/professional school but impact performance and progress. Many students seek out the group prior to major milestone events such as qualifying or major exams, dissertation/thesis defenses, and searching for jobs for post-graduation employment. Topics can vary from meeting to meeting depending on the needs of the students present. 

To participate in the Graduate and Professional Student Support Group, call the Counseling Center at (859) 257-8701.

Students come to therapy to discuss many different issues. For some students, the problem is recent or related to a current situation. For others, the problem has been present for a long time. 

Individual therapy is an opportunity to talk with a mental health clinician about your concerns and to work on particular issues that you and your clinician agree upon. Sessions generally last about 50 minutes. There is a limit of 10 sessions per year (August - August).

Frequent issues students talk about when they come to therapy are:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Relationship problems (with romantic partners, family, friends, roommates, coworkers, advisors)
• Experiences of oppression, discrimination, prejudice
• Poor concentration, difficulty focusing
• Questions about identity
• Body image concerns
• Adjustment to college, graduate/professional school, new life situations
• Grief
• Trauma
• Uncertainty about choice of major or career

At the UK Counseling Center, we generally work within a brief therapy model. This means that most students experience positive change within 5-7 sessions. Some students may be seen only for a few sessions, and some students may be seen slightly more than average. You and your therapist will decide together how many sessions are appropriate to address your concerns and what other services will be helpful to you.

We are committed to serving the student body as a whole and recognize that different students have different needs, which is why we have many ways of offering therapy services, including groups and workshops. If you are interested in seeing the same therapist in individual therapy for a long period of time (semester to semester), we can assist you in locating therapy resources in the community.

To get started, contact TRACS (Triage, Referral, Assistance, and Crisis Support) for an initial appointment and referral for individual therapy at the Counseling Center.

Schedule an appointment with TRACS

Finding a therapist off-campus

Want help making a decision or solving a problem?

Need support around a recent life event?

Curious about whether counseling is for you?

Drop in to Let's Talk for a brief, confidential, one-on-one conversation with a Counseling Center clinician!

Let's Talk provides easy access to informal, confidential conversations with clinicians from the UK Counseling Center. 

• No appointment necessary.
• In-person at locations around campus.
• Open to all University of Kentucky undergraduate, graduate and professional students.   

Let’s Talk is an informal conversation. Let’s Talk is not counseling.  

Disclaimer: 

• Although Let's Talk clinicians are mental health professionals, Let's Talk conversations do not constitute mental health treatment.
• Limits to confidentiality- When there is an immediate threat of harm to you or others, Let's Talk clinicians are required by law to report this. When a minor, elderly person, or someone otherwise incapacitated is being abused, Let's Talk clinicians are also required by law to report this.
• If your Let's Talk clinician assesses that you could benefit from a higher level of care, every effort will be made to refer you to appropriate resources at the university and/or in the community. 

Enjoy a 25-minute massage in our comfortable, calming massage chairs. You may schedule an appointment or drop-in. Available in two locations.

Most wellness program requests can be accommodated by our Student Wellbeing partners in the POWER (Prevention, Outreach, and Wellness Education Resources) office. 

Programming specific to the Counseling Center may include:

• mental health screening days
• crisis event responses/debriefing
• consultation about a student in distress or organizational needs
• attendance at campus events to reduce stigma about help seeking
• interviews
• tabling
• psychoeducational materials (printed as well as web-based)
• interactive mental health workshops (in-person or virtual)

Mental health programming is a community intervention that helps support students who may not traditionally utilize individual or group therapy services. It can also serve as a preventative measure by educating students on ways to maintain their mental wellbeing. Groups who could benefit from programming include students with minoritized or marginalized identities, students who may be at higher risk of facing barriers to their academic and personal successes, students who may experience stigma about help seeking, students who may need support but not necessarily therapy, and students who may want to help a friend.

We are happy to discuss your needs. Please use the link below to make a request.

Contact the Counseling Center

Screenings for Mental Health are available at no cost for University of Kentucky students.

Click the button above to take a brief anonymous screening about any of the following concerns:

• anxiety
• eating and body image
• alcohol and other substance use
• depression
• mood instability
• trauma
• gambling
• anger

After completing the survey, you will receive an explanation of your score and resources will be provided.

Contact the Counseling Center at (859) 257-8701 if you have questions about the feedback and to find out more about helpful services.  We're here to help!

Students who have multiple stressors in their personal, family, or academic life often don’t know what to tackle first. We are here to listen, understand, and help students prioritize their needs. If you know of a student who may benefit from outreach from our office, submit a referral on their behalf. 

Our Relaxation Rooms are quiet, low-sensory spaces for UK students to relieve stress. Drop-in to use the massage chairs, relax with arts and crafts, meditate, or use a light therapy lamp to reduce symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.

CSI listens to your experiences, helps you to identify your needs, and connects you to resources on campus that can support your success and well-being. Set up a meeting with us to get help now!

Talkspace offers asynchronous messaging and live sessions with your therapist, as well as self-guided tools you can access anytime.

Get matched with a therapist today at no cost to you. 

Get started with Talkspace today!

As a benefit for our students, the University of Kentucky has partnered with Talkspace: Self-Guided Therapy to offer each student a subscription to their app at no cost to you!

With Talkspace: Self-Guided, you can expect a suite of guided counseling programs, live classes, and mental health tools created by their team of therapists and backed in decades of research. After a short initial assessment, programs will be recommended to you based on your responses. Programs include, but are not limited to, topics like burnout, body image, work stress, parenting, relationships, and more! 

The Trans* and Gender Non-conforming Support Group is open to any UK student seeking support and community connection around gender identity and gender expression.

To participate in the Trans* and Gender Non-Conforming Support Group, call the Counseling Center at (859) 257-8701.

If you're having trouble connecting with others and feeling down on some aspect of yourself, learning how others see you and how to communicate in different ways could help.

USO Groups are designed to help you learn about yourself and how you interact with others. Group members often have a variety of initial concerns, but share a desire to feel better about themselves and their relationships with others. It can be a powerful experience to realize others struggle with the same things as you do.

USO groups meet for 1.5 hours each week. Group members complete a brief group orientation with group leaders prior to the start of group.

To participate in USO group, call the Counseling Center at (859) 257-8701.

Sometimes students need to take a step that wasn’t in their original plan such as withdrawing, filing an appeal, or taking an incomplete grade. Figuring out what you need to do or who you need to talk to can be daunting and we are happy to guide you through the appropriate process.