Counseling Resources
The law school experience can be stressful. At least one out of every five law students seeks counseling during the
course of law school. (Keep in mind that if 1/5 law students actually seek counseling, the numbers of students who
could actually benefit from counseling is substantially higher.) If you are a student who may benefit from
counseling, or if you simply need someone to talk to, please ask for help. It is available, and perhaps more
accessible than you realized.
Below you will find some of the professional counseling options available to UW students. These options are both
high quality and low cost. (Fees subject to change.)
If you have the student insurance plan, you may receive 15 outpatient mental health visits per policy year (10 of
which must be received at Hall Health Primary Care Center or the Student Counseling Center in Schmitz Hall). For
more information on student insurance coverage, please go to:
http://depts.washington.edu/ovpsa/2005-06Booklet.pdf.
You may also pick up a comprehensive coverage brochure at the Student Insurance Office, Room 468/469 Schmitz Hall, (206) 543-6202.
In addition to outside resources, the Law School has a mental health professional on call; services are free of charge
to law students. For both financial and workload reasons, our doctor accepts clients on a referral basis. Please see
either Dean Madrid for a referral.
The law school community cares about its students. If you need help, ask one of your professors, ask an
administrator, ask your peers, or ask your SBA representatives. We all care.
Student Counseling Center
401 Schmitz Hall
206-543-1240
depts.washington.edu/scc
The Counseling Center offers vocational, educational, and personal counseling from clinical psychologists, educational psychologists, and interns. For individual counseling, there is a $15 charge for
the 45-minute intake session. Additional sessions are $30 each. Group rates vary from $20.00 per session; couples are $35 per session. The Center also offers a 90-minute free workshop that includes test time management, procrastination, memorization skills, test anxiety, stress reduction, reading & note-taking
skills. The Center is open year-round, 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. After-hours, call the Crisis Clinic's 24-hour crisis line at 206-461-3222.
Mental Health Clinic at Hall Health Center
3rd Floor, Hall Health Center
206-543-5030
Services at Hall Health include evaluation, referral, crisis intervention and short-term psychotherapy.
Rates vary according to service and provider. Services are available for individuals, couples, and
groups. Group services focus on topics such as eating disorders, stress management, grief, and issues
specific to men and to women.
Psychological Services and Training Center
Guthrie Annex I
206-543-6511
depts.washington.edu/pstc
Staffed by graduate students training for careers as clinical psychologists, under the direct supervision of
licensed psychologists. Open for individual and family counseling. Sliding fee scale starts at $28 per
session and is based on income/financial aid status. All clients pay a $55 intake fee.
UWMC Roosevelt Outpatient Psychiatry Center
4225 Roosevelt Way NE
206-598-7793
www.uwmedicine.org/PatientCare/MedicalSpecialties/
SpecialtyCare/UWMEDICALCENTER/OPC/SpecialtyServices/
The UW Medical Center's Outpatient Psychiatry Center specializes in the evaluation and treatment of
a broad range of psychiatric conditions in adults. Initial intake and evaluation fees vary. Fees for
subsequent visits also vary per session.
Disabled Student Services
448 Schmitz Hall
206-543-8925 (Voice/TTY)
www.washington.edu/admin/dso/
DSS is open year round from 8am-5pm, Monday through Friday. Students are welcome to stop by. To
guarantee a staff member's time, call and make an appointment. Counseling and guidance are available.
Women's Center
1st Floor, Cunningham Hall
206-685-1090
depts.washington.edu/womenctr
The Women's Center offers re-entry services to women and men over 25 who are considering returning to or have already enrolled in school.
Services are free and include information about career planning, financial aid, and community
resources. The Center also provides personal adjustment counseling and a weekly support group.
Hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.
King County Sexual Assault Center (Renton)
1-800-825-7273
www.kcsarc.org/services
Offers free 24-hour telephone counseling to rape victims and their loved ones. Advocate-counselors will meet with a rape victim and assist in talking to
hospital personnel and police. Referrals are made to support groups and to therapists.
King County Crisis Clinic
206-461-3222
www.crisisclinic.org
Offers immediate and confidential assistance, including information and links to local community resources, for people in emotional distress and in
need of help. Grief counseling and support for survivors of suicide are available.
Self-care resources
The American Psychological Association has produced a number of online brochures for the public. Brochures of note include:
Help with Trauma
www.apa.org/psychnet/coverage.html
Managing Traumatic Stress
helping.apa.org/daily/traumaticstress.html
How to Find a Therapist
helping.apa.org/find.html
Another useful resource to explore, particularly for materials on stress, depression, and suicide prevention, is the
Healthy Students' Self-Care Guide at www.jhu.edu/~shcenter/SelfCare/index.htm
To learn more about the effects of legal education and practice on mental health, please see:
- Lawrence S. Krieger, Institutional Denial about the Dark Side of Law School, and Fresh Empirical
Guidance for Constructively Breaking the Silence, 52 J. Legal Educ. 1 12 (2002).
- Gerald F. Hess, Heads and Hearts: The Teaching and Learning Environment in Law School, 52 J. Legal
Educ. 75 (2002).
- Beck, Sales & Benjamin, Lawyer Distress: Alcohol-Related Problems and Other Psychological Concerns Among a Sample of Practicing Lawyers, 10 J. of Law and Health 1 (1996).
- Benjamin, Darling & Sales, The Prevalence of Depression, Alcohol Abuse, and Cocaine Abuse Among United States Lawyers, 13 Inter l J. of Law and Psychiatry 2 33-246 (1990).
- For a list of books offering hope and help for lawyers and law students, visit the following American Bar Association web site: www.abalegalservices.org/colap. Click on the Products and Publications link, and
then look for the Annotated Bibliography.
Student Bar Association - Room 130 - (206) 543-9111
Revised February 2004