If you are a student at UT and you have been thinking about talking to someone, you are not doing anything dramatic. Most of the students we see are managing fine on paper. They are turning things in, showing up, holding down a job or an org or both. It is underneath that where things feel heavy.
Neema Counseling's Austin office is at 2717 Rio Grande Street, three blocks west of campus in West Campus. You can walk here between classes. We also see students online anywhere in Texas, which turns out to matter more than people expect once summer comes.
Neema is the Swahili word for grace. We are a Christian practice and we do not hide that, but faith comes into a session because you want it there, not because we brought it in.
If you are having a mental health emergency, please do not wait on an appointment. Call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call UT's 24/7 crisis line at 512-471-2255, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger.
Where UT's counseling center hands off, and where we pick up
The Counseling and Mental Health Center on campus is a real resource and it is free to enrolled students, so it is worth starting there. Their first appointment is with what they call the Brief Assessment and Referral Team, and you can reach them at 512-471-3515 or at the Student Services Building on West Dean Keeton.
Something students are often surprised by: referral is built into how that process works. In CMHC's own words, “You may be referred to an external clinician after completing the Brief Assessment and Referral process. Our case management team will assist you with referrals to external providers.”
That is not CMHC turning you away. It is a center serving a very large campus, and part of their job is helping you land in the right place. Sometimes the right place is off campus, especially if you want a longer stretch of work, a specific approach, or a therapist who will engage with your faith directly.
We are three blocks from that building. If CMHC's case management team is helping you look, you can hand them our name, or you can just call us yourself.
What we hear most from UT students
Every student is their own person, so this is not a checklist you have to match. But a few themes come up often enough that it is worth naming them.
Anxiety that shows up in the body before it shows up in your thoughts. Trouble sleeping the week before an exam and then trouble sleeping the week after.
Loneliness that genuinely surprised you. You pictured college as the part where you would finally have people, and instead you are surrounded and still lonely.
The particular exhaustion of doing well while feeling hollow. Your transcript looks great. You do not feel great.
Faith that is being reworked. A lot of students arrive with a faith they inherited at home and find, somewhere in the first couple of years, that they need it to become theirs instead. That can be disorienting, and it is not a sign that something has gone wrong. Some students come to us specifically because they want a place to think about it honestly, without being managed toward a conclusion.
Relationships that are harder than expected, including the ones with parents now that you are living apart.
Who you would actually see
Two of our therapists see clients in person at the Austin office.
Janica Pilcher, LPC, works with adults, teens and children, including college students.
Elvia Delgado, LPC-Associate, also works with adults, teens and children, and sees clients in Spanish both in the office and online.
If your schedule is the problem, or you would rather meet from your apartment, Fabian Armenta, LPC, and Kemi Yemi-Ese, LPC, see clients online anywhere in Texas. Fabian is also bilingual.
Our therapists work eclectically, which is a plain way of saying the approach depends on who you see and what you are bringing. Some of our clinicians lean on cognitive behavioral work, some on attachment-focused and trauma-informed care, some on emotionally focused work for relationships. In a first conversation you can ask a therapist directly how they tend to work.
We do not typically pray with clients. What we do is take your faith seriously as part of your life, and we are glad to talk about Scripture and belief when that is what you want to bring in.
What about the UT student insurance plan?
The student health insurance plan at UT, AcademicBlue, is a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan administered by Academic Health Plans. We are in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Here is the honest caveat, because we would rather you hear it from us than find out at the front desk. Being in network with BCBS broadly does not automatically mean we are in network with the specific student plan, and the plan's mental health benefit details are not spelled out on its public page. So the useful step is to call us with your card, or call the number on the back of it, before your first session. We are happy to check with you.
Plenty of UT students are not on AcademicBlue at all and are still on a parent's plan. We are also in network with Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Oscar, Ambetter, UMR, Lyra, Magellan, Medicaid and Medicare, and we provide superbills if your plan is out of network.
If cost is the thing standing in the way, please say so. We keep a limited number of reduced-rate sessions, and we would rather have that conversation than have you not come.
Some stress is normal in college students.
College comes with stress, and it can be helpful to know that some stress is completely normal — and even good. It’s okay to feel a little stress about an upcoming test, a date, or a busy week. Small bursts of stress can boost energy and memory.
But your body was not designed to handle stress for weeks or months at a time. Trouble sleeping, frequent illness or aches, social isolation, and anxiety or depression are signs of excessive stress.
Starting with a free 15-minute consultation
The consultation is with the therapist themselves, not a scheduler and not a matching service. You are talking to the person you would actually be sitting across from.
It is a low-stakes way to ask the things that are hard to ask by email. What is this like. Do you work with people my age. What happens if I cry. How does the faith part work if I am not sure what I believe right now.
If it is not a fit, that is a completely fine outcome, and we will help you think about where else to look.
Questions UT students ask
How close are you, really?
2717 Rio Grande Street, three blocks west of campus. Students walk over between classes. Parking in West Campus is its own adventure during the semester, so if you are driving, build in a few extra minutes.
Can I be seen if I am not sure I am a Christian right now?
Yes, and you would not be the first. We are a Christian practice and we are upfront about it, but clients of every background and no particular background see us. Some students come precisely because they are unsettled about faith and want somewhere honest to think.
Will my parents find out?
If you are 18 or older, your sessions are confidential, including from your parents, with the standard legal exceptions your therapist will walk you through in the first session. If you are using a parent's insurance, be aware that plans typically send an explanation of benefits to the policyholder. Ask us and we will tell you what that looks like for your specific plan.
Can I do sessions in Spanish?
Yes, and in person if you would like. Elvia Delgado sees clients in Spanish at the Austin office and online. Fabian Armenta sees Spanish-speaking clients online anywhere in Texas.
Do I have to choose between in person and online?
No. A lot of students do both depending on the week, and that is easy to arrange.
What if I am in crisis right now?
Please do not wait on an appointment. UT's crisis line is available 24/7 at 512-471-2255, and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text at 988. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Written by Lauren Jones, LPC-S, founder of Neema Counseling.
This page is for general information and is not a substitute for individual mental health treatment. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call UT's 24/7 crisis line at 512-471-2255, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger.