Psychological Services Center on campus

So you're feeling a little down about yourself and you're fresh out of anti-depressants. Do you visit the Counseling Center or the newly established Psychological Services Center?
Counseling Center clinician and case manager Jenny-Lynn Ellis explained how the center is devoted to myriad issues.

"[The center addresses] anything from stress to relationship problems to students having trouble adjusting to school. We also offer couple and family counseling to the community and students alike," she said.

The UC Denver Psychological Services Center was established near the end of January. The center is used not only to provide psychological counseling, but also to give Master's students in the clinical psychology program real-world experience.

"It's important for the [clinical psychology Master's] program's accreditation for us to have our own training clinic," said center director and licensed clinical psychologist Allison Bashe.

Master's students work in the clinic and conduct the therapy sessions while being supervised by licensed clinical psychologists. "We have four second-year doctoral students working here, and starting in the summer that number will increase to eight," she said.

According to Bashe, the psychological services center specializes in servicing individual issues related to depression, anxiety, anger issues, and grief issues.

"We can treat most mental health issues. However, we would certainly provide referrals if someone contacted us and we could not service their needs," she said.

Bashe said there is high demand for more accessible mental health counseling.

"The city is in need of high-quality, low-cost mental health services. Other clinics have long waitlists. Our plan is to offer services to the entire metro area. The community is our first referral source. We also see staff, faculty and students as well," she said.

Rates at the center are based on income. After the $10 intake fee, therapy sessions begin at $10 per session and can go up to $45. Assessments can cost up to $400, but financial hardships are taken into account. According to Bashe, it's a financially sound deal. "In the outside world it's around $125 for therapy sessions and up to $2,000 for assessments," she said.

The counseling center rates are similar. However, they have no intake fee and ongoing counseling sessions range from $10 to $40, according to Ellis.

Currently, the Psychological Services Center has three therapy rooms. "We are looking to expand," said Bashe. "We would like to start by expanding our clinic hours, and then maybe re-locating."

So, instead of buying Xanax from your manic-depressive roommate, give campus resources a try.